The Way of the Universe
by Casteline
Summary: Nikola is back and he's causing trouble again, but what's he really up to this time? eventual Nikola/Helen, established Will/Henry.
1. A Nuisance

Okay, so this is, yet another, one of those fics that I thought would be short and to the point, then ended up not being anything remotely short. It just keeps going. And going. And going (insert energizer joke).

Anyway, here it is. The beginning anyway. Oh, a few things you might want to know before hand...

This is mostly Nikola/Helen. I say 'mostly' only because I threw in some Henry/Will because, well, let's face it, they're adorable.

Erm... I think thats really all you need to know... Yeah... anyway, on with the fic.

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The Way of the Universe

_**Chapter One – A Nuisance**_

Henry rolled over in his bed, snuggling up under the covers. He was almost awake, but perfectly content to keep sleeping. His bed was warm, and everywhere else was not.

"Henry," he heard a gruff voice call, then there was a knock at the door.

Henry groaned, and pouted slightly. "Wha-at?" he replied, not moving.

"You are needed," Bigfoot said through the door.

"Can't it wait 'til morning?" Henry asked, adamant about getting out of his nice, warm bed.

"No."

He sighed and threw the blanket off reluctantly. He planted a light kiss on the other body lying in his bed before finally rolling out.

"Where you going?" Will asked groggily.

"Big guy wants me for something," Henry replied, pulling on a pair of warm pajama pants. "I just hope is not as a test subject for his latest breakfast experiment. Go back to bed.

"Alight big guy," he said, opening the door to the creature. "What is it?"

"Magnus noticed a discrepancy in the security system."

Henry sighed and began walking toward his lab. "That woman needs to sleep once in a while," he muttered under his breath.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

As he drew closer to his lab, something odd struck him. He sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint what was wrong, but the problem was, the air was just a little too clear. He slid his gun out of his pants and slowed as he approached the door.

"Took you long enough," an all too familiar voice said when he reached to door, though the figure never turned to face him.

"Damn," Henry signed, lowering the gun. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Nikola shrugged. "A little of everything. Though I must say I'm a little surprised. I've been here three days and you've only _just_ realized."

"Three days? How the hell have you avoided the security this long? How'd you even get in?"

Tesla turned and gave hum annoyed look. "Hello," he said, pointing to himself. "Genius, remember?"

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What are you doing here Nikola?" Helen asked as she entered Henry's lab, sounding just as annoyed with him as she always seemed to.

"Oh, Helen, I've missed you too," he replied with a wide grin.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated.

"Besides getting your grimy mitts all over my equipment," Henry added. He was standing in the corner, arms crossed as he watched the menace tinker with various things around the lab.

"Which begs the question," Helen began. "Why haven't you stopped him?"

"Every time I get anywhere near him, he flings tings at me. Heavy, metal things. And I think we should invest is plastic guns, just to use on him."

Helen sighed. "Go back to bed, Henry, I'll deal with this."

"Uh huh," Henry replied, shaking his head. "I ain't leaving till he's gone and I can make sure he hasn't rigged anything to blow."

"I'm not the one that's so very fond of explosives," Tesla pointed out.

"Nikola!"

"Yes, darling?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, slowly.

"Something wonderful, love," he smiled.

"Wonderful for you, maybe," Henry muttered, earning a fork aimed far too close to his face.

"Really, Helen," Nikola said, his eyes wide with excitement. "You'll love this, I swear to you."

Helen sighed. "Fine," she said. "But you are not to do _anything_ without supervision."

"Bu-!" Henry exclaimed with some sort of panicked look on his face.

"Perhaps you could supervise me, Helen," Nikola said flirtatiously as he walked toward the door. "While your pet scientist tries to understand things far beyond his comprehension."

Henry growled slightly, whilst Helen rolled her eyes.

"I need your lab next darling," Nikola smiled.


	2. Every Time

**Chapter Two – Every Time**

Henry didn't know how long he was in the lab before Will wandered in sleepily, running a hand through his hair.

"What are you doing in here?" Henry asked absently, not looking up from the computers.

"My bed got very cold suddenly," he replied, more playful than upset. "I figured you were the only one that could fix it," he added, brushing against him to see what he was doing. He wrapped his arms around Henry from behind. "What's going on in here?" he asked, realizing that Henry was far too distracted for flirting.

"Tesla," he grunted.

"What?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Apparently he's been running around the Sanctuary for three days without anyone noticing. And the Doc was the one that saw the discrepancy in the security systems. God, I feel like such an idiot. He was in my lab and everything!"

Will placed a hand on his back in an attempt to calm him. "Where's he at now?"

"With the Doc, thankfully. You know what I don't get?" he asked, turning to Will, whose arms were still hanging loosely around him.

"What?"

"Why does she put up with him?" he asked. "I mean, all he's ever been is trouble. But every time he shows up, she acts all tough, then lets him get away with everything anyway."

"Because it's Tesla," Will replied. "She can't seem to say no to him."

"And that's what I don't get. What does she see in the guy? He's a jackass with a superiority complex."

"Well, she also had a thing for Jack the Ripper, so maybe this is a step up."

"Yeah, maybe," Henry muttered, turning back to the computer.

"So, any idea what he was doing in here for three days?" Will asked, walking toward one of the counters to tinker with one of the devices lying there.

Henry shook his head. "I've figured out how he evaded the sensors."

"His funny magnet thing?" Will asked

"If by 'funny' you mean 'annoying as hell', yes. But he was messing with so many files, I can't seem to figure out what they all had in common."

"Maybe nothing. Maybe he's just causing chaos. Like he does, every time."

"Yeah, maybe. But he's always has an agenda."

"And somehow," Will added, walking around to see the screen. "It's never what you expect it's going to be."

"True that."

"Wait a minute," Will said. "Go back. What was that?"

"What?" Henry asked, scanning through the file he'd just passed. "This one?"

"No, the one before that."

"This?"

"Yeah," Will said, moving closer to get a better look. "It that what I think it is?"

"Well, that all depends on what you think it is. It's the security schematics."

Will turned to Henry with a half smile. "Why would someone be looking at the security schematics _after_ he broke in? That doesn't make sense, unless…"

"Unless he's trying to break someone else in. Or out."

Will nodded and backed away. "What else was he looking at?"

Henry went back to typing rapidly across the screen. "Research on the Source Blood, which isn't so much shocking as expected."

Will nodded in agreement.

"Huh, this is kind of weird though," he muttered.

"What?"

"Well, he was looking into information on Druitt," he said, turning to look at will, a look of confusion on his face. "Why would he be doing that?"

Will shrugged and Henry went back to his search. "Okay, this is starting to get weird."

"What is it? What did you find?"

"It just, the things he was looking at don't make sense. He's got to have some goal in mind, but these searches make no sense. Security, Source Blood, Druitt, the Cabal. The only thing they have in common is that they're all related to abnormals. It doesn't make sense."

"On the contrary," Will said slowly. "It makes perfect sense."

"Feel free to share with the class," Henry prompted.

"Think about it Henry, there's one really important thing they all had in common."

Henry thought about it for a moment, then Will could see the realization set in.

"Ashley," Henry breathed.

"Ashley," Will nodded.

* * *

**_Hmm..._**


	3. Nikola!

**Chapter Three – Nikola!**

"Are you going to tell me what you're up to, Nikola?" Helen asked as he sifted through files on her computer.

"Not just yet, darling."

"Nikola," she began.

"Helen," he said, turning from what she was doing. "I assure you this is not something you will disapprove of."

"Then just tell me what it is!"

"I can't," he said. "I can't risk it."

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Helen, my dear, that what I'm about to do is dangerous. Not for you, or any of your little friends, but for me. I am going to do something _incredibly_ selfless. To be honest, I might not survive it."

"Then don't do it!" Helen exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Or let someone help you!"

"I'm sorry to break this to you, pet, but this isn't your area of expertise. And don't think for a second Boy Wonder or the wolf can help in anyway, that would be insulting."

"Just tell me what it is you're doing!"

"Sorry, Darling," he said, brushing his hand across her cheek. "There's a good chance it won't work, and you would be devastated. So I'm going to do you a favor and let you bask in naiveté, while I work a miracle."

"You pompous ass," she said.

"You love me," he grinned back at her.

She rolled her eyes and bit down on her cheeks in annoyance.

"Good girl," he smiled, turning back to his work. A moment later, he grabbed something off her desk and walked out of the room.

"Nikola!" she exclaimed, walking after him.

"Helen, please just be patient. You're immortal, you should be good a patience."

"You're not immortal!" she exclaimed.

"Your words," he deadpanned, clutching his chest. "They hurt."

"Nikola!" she shouted once more.

"Relax, Helen."

"Relax? You tell me you're about to do something that you might not survive, and you tell me to relax?"

"Huh," he said, stopping and turning to look at her. "You say that almost as though you worry for me."

"Nikola," she sighed.

"No, really. I would have thought you'd be happy at the thought of my demise. After all, I have been nothing but a 'constant thorn in your side', weren't hose your words?"

"Nikola," she said again, for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Yes, you are probably the most annoying pain in the ass I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. But that doesn't mean I want you _dead_."

"Aw, Helen, you're so kind," he said, blinking his eyelashes rapidly. "Now, while you may not be dying anytime soon, my lifespan is somewhat shorter that yours, so if you want me to finish my work, I should take care of it now."

"How do I know I want whatever nonsense you're planning?"

"You want it," he assured her.

"It's not a bad plan, I'll give you that," Henry said, as he and Will approached from behind them. "We figured it out, Doc," he told Magnus.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Don't," Tesla warned. "You can't tell her. Not yet."

"Why the hell not?" Henry shot back.

"She doesn't need the deal with the aftermath if it doesn't work!"

"He's got a point," Will said quietly.

Helen threw her hands in the air. "I can't believe you people!"

"You know how I feel about the guy, Magnus," Will said. "But you should let him do what he's going to do."

Helen looked adamant, but finally nodded. "On one condition."

"Anything for you," Nikola replied with a smile.

"Let Henry help you," she said.

"Anything but that," he replied without missing a beat.

"Yeah, I don't want to help this jackass," Henry agreed.

"Either you work together, or you tell me what it is you're up to."

"Fine," they said reluctantly in unison.


	4. Secrets

For those of you not following me on twitter, first of all, you should, but more importantly, you should know that I've finally finished this piece, after two weeks of working on almost nothing else. It is complete at 32 chapters. Such a relief, now I can move on to other things. Any suggestions?

**

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Chapter Four – Secrets**

"This isn't gonna work," Henry said, as he and Tesla fiddled with the equipment in the lab.

"Your positive energy is astounding."

"You're going to get killed," Henry said.

"We'll all die one day. Except dear Helen. And If I had my way-"

"If your calculations are off by even a fraction of a-"

"Don't you think I know that?" Nikola shouted. "I've been working on this for over a year, and because you come waltzing in and figure out what I'm doing, you think that makes you some kind of genius. I hate to break it to you kid, but _I'm _the genius, _me_. You're just fortunate. Now kindly _shut up_ and let me work!"

Henry growled at him, baring his fangs slightly, and Nikola desperately wished he could snarl back as he once could.

"Stop bickering, both of you!" Helen exclaimed, feeling rather like a grade school teacher.

The duo worked in silence for a while longer, much to Will and Helen's pleasure.

"I can't believe you won't tell me what they're up to," Helen said.

"For once I agree with the ass," Will shrugged. "It's probably better if you remain blissfully unaware."

"I don't particularly like the way that sounds."

"It is what it is. Though, I'm still trying to figure out exactly why he's doing it. I mean, there are obvious reasons, yes, but it's always more than meets the eye with him."

"It always is," she agreed.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

_"I think we're done," Henry announced._

"By we, he means mostly me," Nikola input. Helen and Will both rolled their eyes. They had done nothing but bicker for over two hours.

"Are you going to tell me what you're up to now?" Helen asked.

"Absolutely not," Nikola said, moving to the empty space in the middle of the lab.

"And you're sure you'll be able to generate a pulse on the right frequency-" Henry asked.

"Yes," Nikola answered, annoyance in his voice. "Now, do me a favor, and vacate the area. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. Anyone but me that is," he added with his signature smile.

"Let's go," Henry said, nodding for the other two to head out and up to the observation area. "Good luck," he said to Nikola, before closing the doors.

"Luck has nothing to do with it," he said to himself. He raised his hands and prepared to create what would probably be the biggest magnetic pulse he would ever create.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

_"What's he doing?" Helen asked as they stared down at the genius from the observation room._

"If it works, you'll know, if it doesn't, be glad you don't," Henry replied.

Suddenly there was a flash and most of the lab was destroyed in a wave of magnetic force. The only thing that remained untouched was Nikola himself.

"Now aren't you glad we weren't down there?" Henry said, nudging Will.

Nikola then dropped his hands to his side and turned to face the glass behind which he knew they were standing.

"I love you, Helen," he reminded her with a smile. In that moment, they all knew what he knew: that he wasn't going to survive.

He raised his hands again and closed his eyes. A wave of electricity ran through the room, causing Nikola to start twitching madly. Then he let out a scream of pain and fell to his knees.

"We have to stop him," Helen said, taking a step toward the door.

"No," Will said, grabbing her wrist.

"I can't watch him die, Will," she said.

"I know," he nodded. "I know. But you've gotta trust him on this one."

Nikola sent out another burst of magnetism before collapsing to the ground. The surge reverberated around the room, building. Then there was a brilliant flash of red-white light, which forced the observers to look away.


	5. Aftermath

Thanks to all the awesome people who have reviewed so far :D

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_**Chapter Five – Aftermath**_

"I cannot _believe_ the two of you would allow this!" Helen shouted. Will and Henry were sitting in the chairs on one side of her desk, while she stood, towering over them, on the other. Neither dared to look up at her. "You're lucky half the Sanctuary wasn't destroyed in this little stunt! As it is that lab was all but destroyed and most of the inhabitants are in disarray!"

"We did it for you," Will said, still not looking at her.

Helen took a deep breath and stayed quiet for a moment while her breathing returned to normal. "I know," she said calmly. "And thank you both. What you've done… I'm eternally grateful-"

"Don't I get any credit?" a voice asked from the doorway.

"Nikola?" Helen said, surprised. "You're awake."

"I'm more surprised to be alive, honestly. Now if these two shmucks get a thank you, don't you think I at least deserve a kiss?" he asked, batting his eyelashes.

Helen rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't even get me started with you."

"Magnus," a voice growled. Helen looked down at her computer screen to see Bigfoot's face on the monitor. "You'll want to come down here," he said, then disappeared from the screen.

Helen nearly ran for the door and made it back to the infirmary in record time, the boys not far behind her.

"Is she okay?" she asked, rushing in.

The Big Guy nodded. "She was having a seizure. She's calmed now."

"Good," Helen nodded, though it was clear she was freaking out a little on the inside. She looked at her daughter, who now appeared to be dreaming peacefully. A moment later, she snarled, baring her vampiric fangs, before returning to restful sleep a moment later.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Magnus," Will greeted several hours later. Helen was sitting in the observation room overlooking the infirmary. She hadn't taken her eyes off Ashley in hours.

"Hello, Will."

"How's she doing?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"She's had two more seizures, though her burns are healing at an alarming rate," she replied.

"She is a vampire," he stated. "Speaking of…"

"Will," she warned.

"Come on, Magnus. You know the only reason he did this was for himself, it had nothing to do with saving Ashley, it was for his own selfish desire."

"I know, Will. But it's Ashley."

Will nodded. "I know." They sat their quietly a while longer before Will spoke again. "You should get some sleep," he told her.

She shook her head. "I can't leave her alone."

"I'll stay and look after her," he promised.

"But if-" she began.

"If anything changes, you'll be the first to know," he assured her. "Get some sleep."

At that moment, she let out a yawn. "Perhaps you're right." She rose from her chair and walked down to the infirmary, giving Ashley a kiss on the forehead before departing.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"So," Henry began, sitting down next to Will. "You think she's gonna let him get away with it?"

"Using Ashley for research? Probably not. But for bring her back for his own selfish purposes? Definitely. He always does. Because Magnus can never hold anything against him."

"Can you blame her, though?" Henry replied. "I mean, she loves him, obviously."

"Oh, obviously."

"Hey, I don't get it either, I hate the guy. But, well, she doesn't. It's hard to hold a grudge against someone you love."

"What have I ever done that compares that that jackass?" Will asked, somewhat taken aback by the implication.

"You snore."


	6. Promise

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I need some sort of reminder to post. I forget things sometimes. I'm sorry. Next time its more than a few days (like, 3 or 4) feel free to spam me with hate mail (PMs on here, or just attack my twitter) as a reminder. I don't take offense to it.

Anyway, for your inconvenience, here are three chapters...

**

* * *

Chapter Six – Promise**

"Hello, Helen," Nikola's voice interrupted her thoughts as she wandered through the halls.

"What do you want, Nikola?" she asked with a sigh.

"Oh, don't act like you aren't happy to see me," he replied.

"No, actually, I'm really not," she said, her tone displaying all the annoyance she felt. "You risked your life today for something that might not have worked, that _shouldn't_ have worked. And what's worse is you didn't even tell me what you were doing!"

"Are you telling me that if I had told you what I was going to do, you would have stopped me?"

For a moment, Helen didn't respond.

"Really, Helen?" he asked.

"No. No I wouldn't have tried to stop you," she said quietly.

"Then what's the problem? You've got your daughter back, she's alive."

"That doesn't mean I have her back. Heaven only know what the Cabal's experiments did to her. For all we know, she's still evil. How can I fix that?"

"You found a way last time, didn't you?" he pointed out. "And, might I add, that you have a knack for turning the bad guys?"

"You say that," she began, knowing he didn't really mean it.

"For the record," he stated. "I didn't bring her back because of her vampiric nature. The thought crossed my mind, I won't deny that, but I would never do that to her, to you."

"Liar," she responded, somewhat playfully.

"Scout's honor," he said, holding up two fingers. "Well, I'll be off to bed then. It's very odd you know, needing to sleep. I also find it peculiar that the moment you let me out of the infirmary, your Bigfoot creature led me to a room that seems almost as though it was waiting for me, as though someone had been expecting me."

He departed her presence with smile.

"You've always had a room here, Nikola," she whispered, watching him walk away.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What did I miss while I was away Biggie?" Kate asked, entering the Sanctuary.

"A lot," he grunted back at her.

"Anything I should know about?"

"Tesla."

"Uh oh."

The Big guy nodded. "He found a way to save Ashley."

"Ashley as in…? I thought she died."

"As did we. Apparently we were wrong. She's been unconscious for several days though."

"Oh," Kate frowned. "How's the Doc?"

He shrugged. "Haven't spoken to her since this all began. If she's not sitting at Ashley's bedside, she's locked in her room."

"What about the rest of the kids?"

He shrugged and continued dusting the counters.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Oh, this is not a good sign," Kate said upon entering Henry's lab. Both he and Tesla were there, tinkering with things she likely would have no idea what to do with, and it almost seemed as though they were getting along.

"Hmm?" Henry mumbled, not looking up from his toys. "Oh, Kate, you're back."

"Good to know I'm an afterthought. I think I'll go visit the Doc."

"Mmkay," Henry nodded absently. As she turned to leave, he seemed to realize what she said. "Oh, god, don't do that!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed. "She's been crazy the last few days. Stay far away from her or you'll get drawn in."

"I think Boy Wonder gut sucked in hours ago," Tesla stated. Then he made a slight pout before muttering to himself "Poor choice of words."

"Aww," Kate said in a baby voice. "Is the little vampire still upset he lost his precious powers?"

Tesla looked incredibly annoyed. "I used to be feared," he said to himself as he tinkered with something that looked like a gun. "I used to be the last of the most powerful race to walk the earth. Now I can't even levitate a spoon, and I've got Little Miss Thrift Store Reject talking to me like I'm a small child. What has the world come to?"

"Sore subject," Henry said. Kate nodded, then turned to leave.


	7. The Return

**Chapter Seven – The Return**

"She's beautiful," Kate said to Will. He had just entered the observation area, where she'd been standing for several minutes, watching as Magnus removed bandages. "I guess it shouldn't be shocking, but I guess I just wasn't expecting her to be so… beautiful."

"You're the one who shot a rocket at her," Will pointed out.

"Hard to get a good read on someone when they're going up in flames."

"You've seen pictures," he added.

Kate shook her head. "They don't do her justice. What's with all the bandages?" She asked, nodding down to Ashley. As far as she could tell, they'd been coving perfect skin.

"She was covered in seconds and third degree burns when we found her. We figure they were caused by the EM barrier."

"Didn't the Big Guy say she'd only been here about a week?"

"Five days," he corrected. "But she's a full Vampire, which means she not only more deadly than Tesla was, but she can also heal faster."

"Speaking of Tesla," she said. "Did you know that he and Henry are actually being friendly?"

Will nodded. "Fear of Magnus more than anything. She's threatened to throw them both to the curb if they didn't at least pretend to get along. Not sure why Tesla's even still around."

"Probably to get his hands on some of Blondie's blood," she offered.

Will shook his head. "Already promised Magnus he wouldn't try."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"You requested my presence?" Nikola asked, entering Helen's lab.

"Yes, I need your help with something," she replied, motioning toward the chair.

"Anything for you, Darling," he replied, sitting down. "How's Ashley? Any progress on waking her?"

Helen shook her head. "I've tried everything I can think of. I've managed to put a stop to her convulsions, but I can't seem to wake her."

"Perhaps it is only a matter of time," He told her.

"Perhaps," she nodded solemnly as she filled a syringe with a reddish liquid.

"What are you working on now?"

"The key to your immortality," she said, holding up the vial. "I figured it out."

Nikola's jaw dropped slightly. "You… you what?"

She smiled slightly. It was kind of refreshing to see _him_ surprised for once. "I used Ashley's blood to find a way to return you to your old self."

"Helen, I told you-"

"I know you said you'd find another way, but you could die before that happens. And you saved Ashley's life. The least I could do was return yours," she added, sticking the syringe in his arm.

"You didn't have-" he began, but passed out before he could finish.

"Well, that may have been unexpected," she shrugged.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

Helen had the Big Guy moved Tesla into the infirmary for observation. He was only unconscious about two hours before he finally came to.

"How are you feeling, Nikola?" she asked when his eyes opened.

He smiled up at her and nearly jumped from the bed he'd been placed in.

"I feel," he began, pondering the question. "I feel…" he allowed himself to transform for a moment, before returning to his human form. "I feel wonderful," he finished, a wide grin on his face. He took Helen's hands in his and twirled her around the room, dipped her, the pulled her into a quick kiss. "Thank you, Helen," he said.

"You're welcome, Nikola," she replied, with an amused smile.

"I found a way to bring her back," he said to her. "I'll find a way to wake her," he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.

She smiled in a sad but amused way as he skipped out of the room.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Okay, what is this?" Will asked, picking up a silver toy sitting on Henry's countertop.

"Not a toy," Henry replied, carefully lifting the weapon from his hands. "To be honest, I don't know what it is, but Tesla's been working on it, so for all I know, it's a death ray."

"Of course." Will then reached to pick up something else.

"Don't touch that!" Henry said, smacking his hand away. "You're going to blow someth- What's that smell?"

Will sniffed the air. "What smell?"

Henry's nose twitched a little. "You don't smell that? It's really familiar. It's like… Oh crap."

"What?"

"It's just little old me," Tesla said from the doorway.

Will turned and Henry snarled.


	8. Unbearable

**Chapter Eight – Unbearable**

"Magnus!" Will called, walking into the infirmary.

"Yes, Will?" she asked absently as she checked Ashley's vitals.

"Do you know what he did?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Tesla!"

"What did he do?" she asked.

"Found a way to turn himself back into a vampire. Probably with Ashley's blood."

"No, he didn't," she replied.

"Umm, yeah, I'm pretty sure he did."

"No, Will, he didn't. I did."

Will opened his mouth, then closed it. "What?"

"I used Ashley's blood to return him to his former self," she said.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I can't figure it out," Nikola said to Helen one evening. They were sitting on her couch, sharing a bottle of fine wine. "I can't figure out what is wrong."

"This is new," she said. "You being clueless."

"I know and I hate it," he replied. "And I wish it wasn't so. But there is no apparent reason for her to not be awake. I just can't figure it out."

"I know," she nodded solemnly. "I can't either."

"I am so sorry, Helen," he said, placing a hand over hers.

"The fact that you were able to bring her back at all was a miracle, Nikola."

"Work of genius that was, wasn't it," he grinned.

Helen let out a laugh and shook her head. "You ass," she said.

"You're the one that called me a miracle worker," he grinned back at her.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Henry!" Kate said into the intercoms. "I've got lights flickering it the east wing."

"Same in the west," Will said.

"And the kitchen," the Big Guy added.

"Henry, I've got three abnormals on life support down here, if the power keeps fluctuating…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm on it, I'm on it," he replied, grabbing a few tools and heading out of his lab. "Henry, the lights are flickering," he muttered to himself. "Henry, it's too cold. Henry, my computer speakers don't work. Henry, the internet is broken."

"We can still hear you, Henry," Will informed him.

"Oh. Sorry."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What the hell are you doing?" Henry asked when he reached the power room, only to find Tesla fiddling with the power distribution coils.

"Making your systems more effective," Tesla informed him.

"Actually, I kind of meant 'What are you _still_ doing _here_? In the Sanctuary'. You've got your powers back, why haven't you left yet?"

"Are you saying to don't like having me around?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Frankly, no, I don't. You annoy me. You annoy everyone here."

"Well then, I'm here solely to annoy you," Nikola smiled sarcastically.

"Doesn't this put a crimp in your plans for world domination?" Henry asked. "Hanging around the people who've managed to stop every plan you've had this century."

"No," Tesla said, walking out of the room. "It doesn't."

"Creep," Henry muttered to himself, wondering exactly what the vampire meant by that.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Come on, Doc," Henry said. "There's gotta be something you can do. He's constantly messing with stuff. Granted, usually it does make things better, in the long run, but, you said it yourself, we can't have the power fluctuating all over the place when we've got people on life support. And I think he invented a death ray."

Helen let out a small laugh. "Please, he invented the death ray almost a century ago."

Henry's face dropped at that revelation. "Okay, but the other stuff…"

"I'll talk to him," she promised.

"Thank you."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

Helen sat at Ashley's bedside, holding on of her hands tightly in her own.

"I miss you so terribly, Ashley," she said. "Whoever said it gets easier if a big fat liar. It never gets easier. Even having you right here…" she choked back tears. "I just wish you were really here," she cried. "I wish you could talk to me, tell me what wrong so I can fix it."

She sat there in silence for a while longer before speaking again.

"I know it's kind of insane," she said. "But he… he makes the pain of losing you… almost bearable at times. It's insane, and if you were awake right now, you wouldn't let me live it down, but… I think I love him."


	9. Always

Sorry for the delay. Finals week. And I probably would have forgotten anyway. Here's three more chapters.

**

* * *

Chapter Nine – Always**

"He drives me INSANE!" Henry exclaimed, pacing across the room.

"I know," Will replied.

"He's always touching things and leaving wine glasses lying all over the place."

"I know."

"And why is he even still here? He got what he wanted-"

"Henry!" Will interrupted. "I know," he assured him. "He's a thorn in everyone's side. You don't have to preach to me. But it's cold, and I'm tired, so will you please just come to bed?"

Henry still looked annoyed for a moment, then smiled sheepishly and crawled into the bed, cuddling up to Will.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I am so sorry I'm late, Nikola," Helen said as she entered her study, slightly flustered. "Marion was in a panic because of something Tannen said and it all got very heated."

"Don't fret, Helen, it's not as though we ever had a set time for this dinner of ours."

"Oh, Nikola, don't be like that," she said, sitting down on the couch next to him. "This is a standing arrangement and I shouldn't have been so late."

"Huh," he said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've just realized how incredibly _predictable_ I've come to be."

"You, Nikola? You could never be predictable. Though the complaints from Henry and Will and Kate are getting more and more frequent."

"It would seem," he began. "That I am not entirely welcome here."

"Nikola," she said. "You are _always_ welcome here."

"Am I now?" he asked with a smile.

"Always," she repeated, brushing her fingers along his cheek.

Nikola couldn't resist the temptation of their closeness and he leaned just a little closer, pulling her in at the same time. A moment later, he pulled back, noting the reluctance in her kiss.

"I should leave," he said, standing straight up.

"What? Nikola?"

"Helen, I've never made my feelings for you a secret. But we have always batted them around like a joke, because that's what is easiest. But the truth is: I do love you. Completely. And I know you know it, even if you pretend it isn't real. I can't sit around your Sanctuary like this, knowing that the only reason you want me here is nostalgia for the old days. I am not just a memory, Helen. I have long overstayed my welcome. I'll be gone by morning."

With that, he turned to leave, desperately wishing he didn't have to.

"No!" Helen exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, turning back to her.

"No," she said again. There were tears in her eyes and it broke his heart that he was the reason they were there. "You can't just walk away like that."

"Helen," he started.

"No!" she half shouted at him. "Please, _please_ don't leave."

"What do I have here, Helen? Give me one good reason I have to stay."

"Me," she offered.

"Oh please," he half laughed. "I have never had you, Helen. And I never will."

"You're wrong," she said to him, stepping rather close to him.

He looked down at her, shock and disbelief in his eyes. "Prove it," he dared her.

She kissed him lightly but tenderly, then pulled back, far sooner than either wanted. "I love you," she finally said.

He pulled her into another kiss and didn't let her pull away so soon.

"Liar," he said against her lips, but she could see in his eyes that he was grinning.


	10. Dreams

**Chapter Ten – Dreams**

Nikola entered the infirmary quietly so as not to disturb any of the residents. As it turned out, Ashley was the only one there, still as unconscious as ever.

"I wish I could find some way to help you," he said, knowing that there was almost no chance of her hearing, and if she could, he could hardly imagine her caring what he thought.

"This really bugs you, doesn't it?" Will said, walking in behind him. "Not knowing something."

"Yes, it does. I just wish I could figure it out."

"I don't know that there's all that much to figure out. I mean, she's not in a coma, technically she's just sleeping."

"Maybe I'm wrong, but humans don't sleep for _seventeen_ days straight. And given that she's not human…"

"I never said there was anything normal about this situation," Will said. "I'm a monster hunter, I work in a place that protects said monster from the world, and, my boss is an immortal, I'm standing in a room with the last two vampires in existence, and my boyfriend is a werewolf. Normal is relative. My point is that the problem isn't something medical or scientific. It's psychological."

"Why must everything be psychological with you?"

"Because I'm a psychologist," Will stated. "And I'm serious. Dreams are the way people deal with the troubles of everyday life. She's dreaming."

"Maybe no one's ever told you this, but Vampires don't dream. Mostly because we don't sleep, but even still-"

"You just can't accept any professional opinion but your own, can you?" Will asked, annoyed.

"Not when your professional opinion is _wrong_."

Will threw his hands in the air. "Why do I even try?" he exclaimed, walking back out of the infirmary.

Nikola rolled his eyes and turned back to the sleeping vampire.

Only, she wasn't there. He spun around, wondering how she'd managed to move without him sensing it. A moment later, she dropped down in front of him, fangs and claws bared. Before Nikola had a chance to respond, she threw him into a wall.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Nikola!" Helen exclaimed, rushing to his side.

Nikola grumbled as he woke.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

He pulled himself into a sitting position. "You're pretty," he grinned.

"Yeah, he's fine," Will nodded. "What the hell happened?"

"Ah," Nikola grunted, cracking his neck. "You had just left. When I turned around, Ashley was gone. Then she attacked me."

Henry snorted.

"You have something to say, Wolf boy?" Tesla asked.

"Just that you got your ass kicked by a girl," he giggled. Then he stopped laughing.

Tesla snarled and leapt forward, pinning Henry against the wall. Both had half transformed before Helen interrupted their brawl.

"BOYS!" she exclaimed. Nikola released Henry and both shook their faces back to normal. "I swear, it's like running a day care," she said under her breath. "Henry, check over the security footage. She can't have gotten out without being caught on a camera somewhere… what was that?" she asked as the lights flickered.

"I'll look into it," he replied before leaving.

"It was likely the EM field shutting down," Nikola said.

"I know," Helen replied. "But until we have evidence stating otherwise, we will assume she hasn't made it out."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"She made it out," Henry informed them over the intercoms. "The EM field is down."

"Damn," Helen swore. "Alright, everyone load up. We need to deal with this as quickly as possible."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Where would she have gone?" Will asked as they departed the Sanctuary.

"For food," Nikola relied.

"This whole planet is food for a vampire," Will pointed out.

"And therein lies the problem."

"Can you sense her?" Helen asked.

Henry nodded. "But it's faint."

The big guy grunted in agreement.

"Probably drowned out by that horrible stench of humanity," Nikola said, but was ignored by the others.

"Let's go," Helen said, following behind those who had a scent to follow.


	11. Asleep

**Chapter Eleven – Asleep**

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Nikola muttered when they came up behind Ashley, who turned and snarled at them, before returning to the woman she'd backed into a corner.

"Ashley!" Helen shouted. She ignored her and moved closer to the young woman. Helen raised her tranquilizer gun, as did Will and Henry, but before they could fire off a round, Ashley collapsed.

"That was unexpected," Henry said a moment later. Helen ran forward to check on her daughter, while Will comforted the woman who'd almost been attacked.

"You should probably tie her up," Nikola said, holding a set of titanium webbed restraints out to Helen. "Before she wakes up again."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"You're telling me she just _fell asleep_?" Will asked.

"It doesn't make sense to me either, Will," Helen said as they walked out of the infirmary. "None of this makes any sense."

"I've gotten used to things not making sense," he said. "But this is weird, even for us."

"I agree. Speaking of weird, I need you and Kate in Mexico," she said, earning an eyebrow raise. "We've got a few reports of Chupacabra sightings."

Will stopped in his tracks and just stared at her. "Seriously?"

"No," she said with a laugh. "But there is some kind of humanoid abnormal out there killing people."

Will shook his head, and laughed. "It's good to see your sense of humor back, but really?"

Magnus shrugged and smiled. "Your flight leaves in an hour."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"She's in a better mood lately," Will told Henry.

"I've noticed. It's a little odd, don't you think?"

Will shrugged. "It's good she not locked up in her lab like a crazy person. But Chupacabra jokes really aren't that funny. Not in our line of work."

"She told you it was a Chupacabra?" Henry laughed.

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving now," he said.

"Aww," Henry pouted. "Don't leave 'cause I'm making fun of you," he said, wrapping his arms around Will's waist.

"I'm not. Our plane is leaving in," he looked down at his watch. "Well, now."

"Aww, come on. It's a Sanctuary jet, it won't leave without you," Henry said seductively.

"Tempting," Will replied with a smile. "But I really have to go." He gave him a quick kiss, then untangled himself from his arms. Seeing the pout on his face, Will gave him another kiss, then left.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"You're late," Kate informed Will when he boarded the jet.

"I know, sorry."

Kate snorted. "You're not sorry. I know what you were doing," she said, smiling. Will rolled his eyes and settled into his seat.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Good evening, Helen," Nikola greeted, entering her study.

"Hello, Nikola," she replied with a smile.

"How is Ashley?" he questioned.

"Still sleeping, unfortunately."

"Oh, Darling," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "You needn't blame yourself for this. There is nothing you can do. We have tried everything."

"I know," she replied, resting her head against his chest, allowing herself to relax somewhat. "I just wish…"

"I know," he replied, running his hands through her hair. He loved this woman, and it pained him greatly to see her in such pain.

"I miss her so much. I miss talking to her. I miss watching bad horror films with her at two o'clock in the morning. I would give anything… even to be fighting with her. But I can't. All I can do is just sit and watch and wait. I hate it. I hate it."

"I know," he whispered soothingly. "I know."


	12. Stranger

**Chapter Twelve – Stranger**

"How was Mexico?" Henry asked when Will and Kate returned. Both replied with nothing more than a death glare. "Not good I guess. Where's the abnormal?"

Before they could answer, the Big Guy wheeled a gurney out, and strapped to the gurney was a woman. She wore leather almost head to toe, the only part not covered was the portion from the bottom of her shorts to the top of her lace up boots.

"Damn, she's hot," Henry commented.

"Tell me about it," Kate replied, earning a raised eyebrow from the others.

"Find an isolation lab for her," Will said. "Magnus will want to study her. Make sure to keep her sedated."

"What is she?" Henry asked ask the Big Guy wheeled her away.

"Not sure," Will replied.

"But she put up a hell of a fight," Kate added.

"My best guess is vampire," he said. "Which is never a good thing."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Anything new?" Will asked, entering Magnus' lab.

"She is not a vampire," she replied. "Well, I suppose she could be called a vampire, but she isn't Sanguine Vampiris."

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Positive. I ran several blood tests to be sure. Her abilities are far too similar, though. I don't understand it."

"You could always ask Tesla," Will pointed out. "For all we know, she's one of his experiments."

For a moment, she looked like she was about to object, then nodded in agreement. "Will you send him to the lab if you see him?"

"Sure," he nodded.

"Uh, guys," Henry's voice interrupted from the computer screen.

"What is it, Henry?" Helen asked, as Will walked around to see the computer.

"Seymour's disappeared."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's missing. He's not in his room and no one has seen him in hours. I'm looking at the video footage… Uh oh."

"Henry?" Helen prompted.

"The Big Guy just found him. In the Catacombs. He's dead."

"What?"

"He's moving him up to your lab now. Says it looks like some sort of attack."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Oh my god," Will said when he entered the autopsy room.

"Indeed, this was a brutal attack," Helen replied.

"Henry said it was, but I didn't… oh. Oh jeez."

"Indeed."

"Listen, Magnus…" Will began.

"Don't say it, Will," she warned, knowing where this was likely to lead.

"Come on, Magnus," he said. "There are only so many things in the Sanctuary who can do this kind of damage."

"Based on the markings, I would say three to be exact," she said, knowing this would only help his argument.

"And two of them have been unconscious for days," he stated. "Which leaves only one."

"There's got to be some rational explanation…" she started.

"Yes, the rational explanation is that lover boy is up to his usual tricks again! Come on, Magnus, he's been hanging around the Sanctuary for over a month. For what? Some minute chance that he'll find his way into your pants…"

"Will," she interrupted.

"Come on, Magnus-"

"Will," she said again, begging him to shut up.

"Oh," he said, realizing. "Oh."

Both were silent for a few minutes, before Will spoke again. "That doesn't change the facts. He's the only one…"

"I know, Will," she said, biting her lip. She pushed the body back into the freezer and tore off her gloves, then went to wash her hands. "Have Henry check all the footage for both Ashley and our newest arrival."

"I already did," he admitted. "I wanted to be sure before I came to you. Aside from what we think is a brief glitch in the computers, they were both in their beds the whole time. But there's a three hour block we can't find Tesla at all."

Helen nodded slowly. "Thank you, Will. I'll talk to him."

"Do you want me to…" he started.

"That will be unnecessary," she replied.

"Okay," he nodded solemnly.


	13. The End

_I've just started writing a sequel. Don't know how long it will be, not even entirely sure what it will be about. But I've started writing it, and I know the title. I think. I'll probably change it sixteen times before I finish chapter two, but I have one in mind. anyway, on with the fic..._

**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen – The End**

"Nikola," Helen greeted, entering the lab that he had claimed as his a few weeks before.

"Hello, Helen," he said, turning to her with a smile, which fell the moment he saw the look on her face. "What is it?"

"It always has to happen like this, doesn't it," she said sadly.

"Like what, Darling?" he asked, stepping closer to comfort her. He places a hand on her cheek. She leaned into his touch, biting back tears. "What is it, Helen? Please talk to me."

"I should have known," she said. "But I wanted so badly for this time to be different…"

"Is it Ashley?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

Helen shook her head. "No. No, Ashley is fine, the same as she has been."

"Then what is it? Talk to me."

"We found a woman, an Abnormal, almost a week ago. In Mexico. She… she's incredible, Nikola. I've never seen anything quite like her."

"That sounds like a good thing, not something that would have you so terribly sad."

"It's not about her, not really. It's about what she is, where she came from… I've been running tests for days, Nikola, trying to find something, some kind of evidence to prove myself wrong. But the evidence only points to one thing. You."

"Me?" Nikola said, pulling away from her slightly.

She nodded. "I know you, Nikola, and some time I wish I didn't know you quite so well."

"What are you talking about, Helen?"

"The woman… she's a genetic experiment. _Your_ genetic experiment."

"Wha-"

"I don't know when you did it. I imagine it was over a year ago. Before we took down the Cabal. When we thought you were dead. I never thought you succeeded in creating a vampire you had complete control over, but she…"

"I never did," he stated, raising his voice slightly. "I never succeeded. All of my attempts failed. They were all destroyed or returned to human form."

"Oh, Nikola, please don't lie to me. I have evidence sitting in my lab. The markers in her DNA… you're signature was everywhere. And she's killed people, Nikola. In Mexico, and now in the Sanctuary."

"Even if I did manage to create and control a functioning vampire, which I swear to you I didn't, what reason would I have to make her kill people in the Sanctuary? Why would I do that?" he asked, his voice desperate.

"I don't know," Helen said, tears in her eyes. "I don't know, Nikola. But your motives have never been completely clear to anyone, not even me. You're always hiding something."

"Helen-" he began.

"No," she stopped him. "Don't Nikola. I need you to leave. Leave the Sanctuary, now."

Nikola straightened himself and wore the most stoic expression he could muster.

"You never trusted me, did you? It was all just a lie. Some sort of joke to you. Well fine then. I'll be going. I never really belonged here anyway." With that, he gathered a few of the things from his lab, and departed, leaving Helen standing there in silence.

The moment he was gone, she collapsed to her knees, tears falling freely.

She didn't know how long she laid there on the floor, sobbing, before Bigfoot wandered in.

"Helen," he said in a low growl.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, unable to speak.

"Come on," he said, scooping her into his arms. He carried her off to her room and placed her gently in her bed. "Do you need anything?" he asked her.

She shook her head slightly. "Thank you, old friend," she said, her voice harsh from crying.

He grunted lovingly and gave her a pat on the head.

**

* * *

**_Contrary to the title of this chapters, this is not the end. There are still nineteen chapters ahead of us, and whatever sequel I manage to crank out._


	14. Constant Supervision Required

**Chapter Fourteen – Constant Supervision Required**

When Helen eventually awoke from her tear induced sleep, the first thing to register in her mind was that she couldn't quite remember moving from her lab to her bed the night before. It was a moment before the previous night's events washed over her mind, the crushing depression hitting her like a ton of bricks.

The second think that occurred to her was that she was not alone in her bed. Her hearts sped up slightly as she opened her eyes.

The body lying next to her, staring at her with worried eyes, was not the one she had been expecting.

"Ashley," she breathed.

"Hey mom," she smiled sadly.

Helen stared at her wide eyed for a moment. "Ashley?" she asked, reaching out to touch her face.

"I'm really here, mommy," she said.

"But, before…"

"I know," she said. "I know. But I'm me now. I'm okay. I was fighting for control. Will thinks that's why I was asleep for so long: dealing with my inner demon. Literally."

"Oh, Ashley," Helen said, pulling her close. "I've missed you so much."

"I know, mom," Ashley smile, hugging her. Helen sobbed into her shoulder, holding her so tightly it nearly crushed her. "Oh mom, don't cry."

"They're happy tears," Helen assured her.

"I know, but they're sad tears too."

Helen sighed. "I know. They shouldn't be. I shouldn't be so happy, yet so sad at the same time."

"Oh, mom," Ashley said, pulling her close.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

Helen, Ashley, Will, Henry, Bigfoot and Kate sat in Helen's office, discussing the current situation.

"And we're sure she's not going to have some evil fit of rage?" Henry asked. Ashley glared at him.

"Not in the slightest," Helen replied. "I still don't fully understand what the Cabal did to her. It's a miracle in itself that she's even here right now, as herself."

"So, for all we know, I'll be 'Jekyll and Hyde'ing it for the rest of my life?" Ashley responded.

"To put it bluntly, yes. And until I can understand it further, there's nothing I can do to counteract it. So, until we know more, You're to be under constant supervision. You are not to leave the Sanctuary without my permission, and you will always be with one of us, no matter where you are, in or out of the Sanctuary."

"Uh-" she started to object.

"No buts," Helen warned. "We can't risk you hurting someone."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Tell me, Will," Ashley said during his first shift keeping an eye on her, several hours later. "Tell me everything that's happened since I've been gone."

"Didn't Magnus talk to you about everything?" he asked, looking up from his book.

"Well, yeah, but she left things out. I know she did. I want to know everything."

It took him several days to even give her the cliff notes version of events.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I'm not sure how I feel about you," Ashley told Kate one evening, knowing that she didn't fully trust her.

"I'm not sure how I feel about _you_," Kate replied.

Both were silent a while, as they cleaned the counters and shelves of the study.

"Wanna go find blackmail on the boys?" Ashley asked after a long period of silence, in which both girls felt they were going to die of boredom.

"God yes."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"You guys are just so cute," Ashley squealed to Henry.

"Would you quit fangirling all over the place?" he asked as he tinkered with his latest prototype. "You're making a mess."

"But it's so cute," she squeed.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Will," Ashley said when the Big Guy had left the room, after escorting her to be babysat, as she had started to call it, by Will.

"Yeah?"

"I need a favor."

"Is it illegal?" he asked, recognizing her tone.

"Technically, no. But we could both get in trouble. But I really need to do this. You can even come with me, you just can't tell mom."

Will looked up at her, question in his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, vowing not to agree until he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.


	15. Bad Self

_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, you make me smile :)_

**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – Bad Self**

"This is such a bad idea," Will said, shaking his head as they approached the door at the end of the hall. "Magnus will be so angry."

"You could have stayed behind," Ashley reminded him.

"No I couldn't," he replied. There were just too many things that could go wrong, and, knowing that she would have found a way out of the Sanctuary either way, he knew it was best that he went along with her.

"Then don't complain. Listen," she said after knocking loudly on the door. "Can I… Can I talk to him alone?"

"Absolutely not."

"Will-"

"No. I can't have you turning into your bad self and going crazy while under my supervision."

"Will, please. This is kind of a private thing. Please."

Will sighed because he knew she was right. "Fine. But only for fifteen minutes. And if he ends up dead-"

"If I kill him, would you really care?"

"Good point."

Just then, the door finally opened.

"What's going on?" Tesla asked, a look of slight shock on his face.

"We need to talk," Ashley said, pushing the door open and inviting herself in.

"What about?" he asked.

Ashley made a face. "Have you been drinking?" she asked, then noticed several empty bottles of wine, as well as a few stronger forms of alcohol. "Vampires can't get drunk," she pointed out.

"I imagine it's all just a matter of none have tried hard enough," he replied.

Ashley blinked a few times. "You're kind of miserable, aren't you?"

"Hey, don't waltz into my home and act like you have the right to say anything you want. I'm the reason you're alive!"

"I know. And I'm grateful for that. But this is a little pathetic."

Tesla opened his mouth to object, but she cut him off.

"That's not why I'm here," she said. "I'm here about mom, and you."

She saw something flash in his eyes at the mention of her mother, but she dismissed it as her imagination.

"Listen," she began. "I won't pretend to understand why she cares about you. I don't understand it. You're a lunatic. A genius, yeah, but a lunatic with a god complex no less. And part of me is starting to realize that's kind of a turn on for her, which is really way more than I ever needed to know about my own mother.

"I know you've been pining for her a long time, and I know that she's cared about you for a long time too, even if I only just realized it. Here's what I don't get though: if you love her _so_ much, then why would you do this to her? You had her. And you threw it away. Was it worth it?"

"I didn't," he stated firmly. "I. Didn't. Do it," he said, shaking his head, a hint of tears beginning to well in his eyes. "I've done a lot of bad things in my time, and I don't regret any of it. I am who I am. But I didn't have that vampire kill those people. I didn't do it."

Ii occurred to her that he wasn't exactly the type to deny something, no matter how horrendous it was.

"Believe me," he said. "I wish I could take credit for creating a vampire that I can control, but I didn't create her, and I can't control her. And if I could, the last thing Io would do is kill abnormals."

"I almost believe you," she said.

"I'm telling the truth, Ashley. I love your mother," he told her. "I always have, and I would never do anything to hurt her."

_That_ she believed.


	16. Encouragement

_Unnecessary gratuitous update. Also, apparently I am unable to number things properly. This actually has 33 chapters, not 32. I had two chapter 30s until about five minutes ago. And you wondered why they call me the cannon fodder... actually, they don't call me that..._

_On to what might be considered a slightly OOC, but nonetheless wonderful chapter :)_

**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen - Encouragement**

"Okay, Will," Ashley said as she and Tesla stepped out of the apartment.

"What's tall, dark and broody doing?"

"He's coming back with us."

Will considered objecting, but knew that, really, he had no control in this situation. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. "Henry?" He heard a faint beep in the background before Henry spoke.

"Shield's down," Henry told him. Will nodded to Ashley, who placed her hands on their respective shoulders and teleported them away.

"Okay, Henry," Will said into the phone when there were firmly back in the Sanctuary, then hung up.

Ashley began to walk down the nearest hallway, the one that led to Helen's study, practically dragging Tesla behind her.

Will sighed and followed after. "I'm so going to lose my job for this."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What are you doing here, Nikola?" Helen asked, trying to sound angry, trying to feel angry even, because that's what she was supposed to be. All she could feel was a flutter in her chest and she wished so badly that the feeling was something else. Some feeling that didn't make her want to run back into his arms.

"I brought him," Ashley said.

"How did you-" she began, then saw Will standing in the doorway as well. "Will."

"I'm sorry, Magnus. I knew she'd find a way out somehow, and I figured it was better if I at least went with her."

Helen sighed. "Thank you, Will," she said. "You can return to your work."

Will nodded and walked away.

"Nikola," she said. "Will you leave us alone for a moment."

He nodded and walked away as well.

"What is this, Ashley?"

"Mom," she started. "The two of you… I don't get it. I won't pretend to. But I know that you're miserable, you both are. And I know you think he had those abnormals killed-"

"He did," Helen interrupted. "There's evidence to back it."

"No, Mom, there's not. If there was, you would have locked him up, not let him go free. This was never about that girl, or even him. It's about you. You're afraid. You've been alone for so long." At that, Helen opened her mouth, but Ashley didn't give her the opportunity. "No, Mom, just let me talk here. I know what you're going to say, and you're wrong. You _have_ been alone. You surround yourself with people and you submerge yourself in your work so you forget just how alone you are. I think you got really scared when you suddenly weren't alone, when you finally found each other. He's probably the one person on the planet that you could spend the rest of forever with. But that's not what scared you, was it, spending eternity with him? It was the thought of _not_ being with him forever. And so, to save yourself the future heartache, you jumped at the first shot you had and you threw him from your life. You warped the evidence to say what you wanted to say, which is exactly what you taught me never to do."

"Ashley," Helen said, tears in her eyes.

"Mom, you love him. And he loves you. You didn't see him when I went to him. He says he didn't kill those abnormals, that he didn't have her kill them, and I believe him. I believe him when he says he'd never hurt you. Don't you think it's time you believe him too?"

"Oh, Ashley," Helen said, hugging her daughter tightly. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Go get him tiger," the blond smiled, nudging her toward the door.


	17. Fears

Meant to update sooner. Here's two chapters for the delay.

**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen – Fears**

Helen didn't know what to say when she eventually found Nikola. How exactly did one start a conversation like this? _Sorry I accused you of murder, I didn't really think you did it, I just wanted you gone._ Which, of course, sounded completely wrong and she could never say that to him.

"I'm sorry," was all she said when she found him standing on the roof, in the rain.

For a long time, he didn't respond. He just stood next to her, both of them drenched, letting her guilt eat away at her.

"I wish I could be angry with you," he finally said, leaning on the low wall. "I wish I could hate you for what you did. I wish I could scream at you for not trusting me. But I can't."

"Oh, Nikola," she said, placing a hand over his.

"It hurts," he said. "That you have no faith in me, that you don't trust me-"

"I do trust you, Nikola," she said. "It was never about you." She tried to find a way to put the words so elegantly as Ashley had said them, but her words only seemed to fail her. "I love you. So much. And it scares me."

"You mean _I_ scare you," he corrected.

"No," she shook her head. "That's not at all what I mean. I have never been afraid of you. What terrifies me," she said, tears building up again, making it hard to speak. "Is losing you."

"Funny way of showing it," he replied, unable to look at her.

"Please look at me, Nikola," she begged, willing the tears to dry. He turned to her slowly, but still refused to look her in the eye. "The feeling… the feeling I have when I'm with you… I was so afraid because I knew that one day it would be gone, that _you_ would be gone, and the pain would be unbearable."

"So you push me away?" he asked, shaking his head as he tried desperately to understand her reasoning.

"Yes," she said. "I pushed you away, hoping the pain would be less now, than it would be in the future. That if I let myself fall anymore in love with you, it would only hurt more."

"Helen," he said, finally looking into her eyes, taking her cheek in his hand. "I will _never_ hurt you. I will never leave you."

Helen closed the gap between them, desperately needing to feel him. "I'm so sorry, Nikola," she said.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"So how goes Operation Matchmaker?" Henry asked when Will wandered into his lab.

"I can't believe you're on board with this," Will said.

"Meh," Henry shrugged. "Yeah, I hate the guy, but still… you know."

"Yeah," Will nodded in agreement. They all hated seeing Magnus sad, even if she was remarkable at masking it.

"So I was thinking…" Will started. "It's Kate's shift with Ashley, and Magnus is probably doing things with Tesla we'd both rather not think about." Henry made a somewhat disgusted face at the comment. "We probably won't be needed till morning…" he smiled seductively.

Henry grinned and nearly dragged Will out of the lab and down the hall to their room.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"So, the boys are nowhere to be found," Ashley said. "We know what that means. And Mom is hopefully off having makeup sex with Tesla, and I say hopefully while really the mere thought of it makes me kinda gag. And the Big Guy is doing… whatever it is he does. So… B movie marathon?"

Kate grinned. "You get the movies, I'll get there popcorn."

"Deal."


	18. Freedom

**Chapter Eighteen – Freedom**

Bigfoot wandered into the library around midnight to find Ashley and Kate asleep on the couch, one of Ashley's arms thrown around Kate's waist. The Big Guy half snorted as he threw a blanket over the two. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught something interesting on the TV. He then settled down into a nearby chair, taking the girls' abandoned popcorn and allowed himself to be drawn into the world of Megashark vs. Giant Octopus.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I want to see her," Nikola said the next morning over breakfast.

"Who?" Helen asked.

"The vampire. The one I am credited with creating. I want to see this genius creation."

"I still don't understand how it could have been anyone but you. It looks so like your handiwork."

"Precisely why I would like to meet her."

"You can study her," Helen said. "But she's on a sedative drip and you are _not_ going to wake her, for any reason."

"Aw, Helen," he pouted.

"No, Nikola. The last time we took her off the sedative, her master was able to take control of her and she killed two abnormals. She is _not_ to be awakened."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"How do you feel?" Helen asked Ashley.

"They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, right?"

"You feel insane?" Helen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I'm thinking you must, after asking me the same question every day. Every time the answer is the same. I feel fine. Great, even. I have no desire to go on a feeding frenzy, and the only time I feel like doing something violent is when Tesla walks into the room."

Helen chuckled slightly. "Transform please," she instructed, as she had every day before.

Ashley sighed and allowed her vampiric form to emerge.

"Okay," Magnus nodded after making a few notes. Ashley returned to her human form.

"So, tell me, Doc," Ashley said in jest. "What's wrong with me?"

"Well, you've been under observation for three weeks," she replied, humoring her somewhat. "And you haven't had any episodes that we're aware of. I'd say, as long as you don't stop taking your medication, and you at least continue to be cautious… you can go out on your own-"

"Oh thank god," Ashley grinned, hopping off the table.

"Ashley," Helen warned.

"Relax mom," she said, turning to her. "I was just going to take Kate to the sub shop down the street. I miss Julio and his fantastic sandwiches."

"Before you go…"

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"You really think…" Ashley began. "Who am I kidding, it's Tesla, of course he will."

"And that's why we're all here," Helen replied. She, Ashley, Will, Henry, Kate and the Big Guy were all standing in the observation room above the Mexican vampire's cell. The only way she could get out was to get though them.

Not five minutes past before the woman began to stir. None of them noticed until then, but Nikola had, as expected, managed to clamp off the IV feeding her the sedative. The woman had only just begun to awaken before she tore out of her restraints.

The six rushed into the room, tranq guns raised.

The woman bared her fangs and claws, as Nikola and Ashley did the same; Henry allowed himself to partially transform as well.

"Don't trust me, do you?" Nikola asked, though his voice had more of a laugh in it than anything.

"It's not that, Darling," Helen replied, as the woman took in her surroundings, likely trying to find a gap in their defenses. "I just know you."


	19. Fight

I sort of hate the direction I brought this in, but it was really the only way I could do things. The next few chapters will probably suck (at least in my mind), but just bear with me, it gets better.

**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen - Fight**

The vampire pounced at Will, deciding he would be the easiest to take down. Will, in return, shot her several times, which only served to annoy her further. Henry knocked her down, snarling angrily.

"Aww, aren't you an adorable overprotective lover," Nikola grinned, tapping his lip with his abnormally long nail.

Henry glared at him, which gave the woman time to escape his clutched and attack Kate, who was now the nearest. Kate shot off a full magazine of tranqs, knowing from experience it would take a lot to take her down. The vampire wasn't slowed.

"I do miss the feeling of a gun in my hand," Ashley said, attacking as Kate reloaded. "But not having to worry about ammo is kinda nice."

"How did you manage to take her down before?" Henry asked, returning to his fully human form.

"A lot of tranqs," Will replied, firing his own clip into her.

"Nikola!" Helen shouted as all but he fought the creature in their own way.

"Oh, fine," he said. "Everyone back away from her."

"What are you going to do?" Will asked as they all backed away. When she moved to attack again, he reached out and sent an electric current through her entire body. When he released her, she snarled and attracted him, screaming something unintelligible.

"Hmm, well, figured it was worth a try. I really didn't want to have to do this…" He pulled something out of his pocket, a glass tube, and stabbed her with it. A moment later, she collapsed, her fangs and claws retracting.

"The De-vamper?" Helen asked, surprised her had it.

"We'll, I didn't want to end up in a situation like… well, like this."

"You had no way of knowing that would work," Helen said. "She isn't technically a vampire."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" he said with a smile.

Helen rolled her eyes. "Help me move her back into the chair," she said. "Just in case."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Henry," Helen said, entering his lab.

"Hiya, Doc," he replied. "What do you need?"

"Can you play me the footage from this morning's brawl?" she asked.

"Sure thing. Any particular reason?"

"What she said to Nikola. I want to know what it was."

"You mean that gibberish right before he de-vamped her?"

She nodded.

He tapped at his keyboard for a moment, then played the scene she was referring too. "I think it's nonsense, Doc," he said, shaking his head.

"Perhaps," she replied. "But perhaps not. Slow it down." He tapped a few keys and played her words again, slower; this time they sounded more like words than nonsense."Hmm," Helen grunted thoughtfully.

"You get something out of that?"

"Not sure. Something about it sounded… familiar. Send it to Nikola, will you?"

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I'm telling you, he's got the best food," Ashley assured Kate as she dragged her out of the Sanctuary.

"I'm not objecting," Kate said. "But I can walk on my own, thank you." She wrenched her arm away.

"Then walk faster," she whined.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Is it what I think it is, Nikola?" Helen asked as he played the recording off of his computer.

"Oh dear," he breathed. "This is not good."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Hello, girls," someone greeted, jumping out in front of them as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Dude, way to be a creeper," Ashley said.

The man smiled at them creepily.

"Man, you really need to back off," Kate said.

"Tell your mother I have a message for her," the man snarled, his face transforming.

"Oh, tough guy," Ashley mocked. "But see, I can to that too." She transformed as well. "Kate, get Mom out here!"


	20. A Brief History of Sociopaths

**Chapter Twenty – A Brief History of Sociopaths**

"This is bad, Nikola," Helen said, a look of fear in her eyes.

"And it just got worse," Henry said, running in. "Kate and Ashley are under attack. By something just like our ex-vampire friend."

Before Helen could utter a single word, Nikola reached into a drawer and retrieved the De-vamper. They rushed out.

"Where's Will?" she asked as they ran for the doors.

"He and the Big Guy left the second I got the call. We know the tranqs don't work all that much, but we figured it's a distraction at the very least."

"Nikola, you can get their faster. Go!"

He gave a quick nod before tearing away from them.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What the hell is going on, Mom?" Ashley asked as the team made their way back to the Sanctuary, dragging the de-vamped vamp in tow.

"Only just the beginning," Helen replied ominously.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"This is bad, Nikola, very bad," Helen said.

"I know, Helen," he replied. "I know."

"Does somebody want to explain to those of us born this century?"

"Anna Druitt," Helen began.

"As in…" Henry asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Tesla replied. "And if you thought dear Johnny was crazy…"

"Anna was insane," Magnus confirmed. "She was obsessed. With us, the five of us."

"Well…" Tesla interrupted. Helen sighed.

"Well what?" Kate asked.

"She wasn't so much obsessed with all of us, so much as one in particular," Helen explained.

"Let me guess," Will began, fairly sure he knew where this was going.

"Me," Tesla grinned.

"Of course. So what happened?"

"She followed-"

"Stalked," Helen corrected.

"_Stalked_," Tesla said. "Me for a while. All of us really, but mostly me."

Helen rolled her eyes. "When she found out what we did, with the Source Blood… she was determined to do the same. She wanted to be one of us."

"She never could have been. She wasn't like us," Tesla.

"Hmm, sounds to me like she'd fit right in, being insane and all," Will commented, then realized what he was saying about his boss. "I didn't mean that about you, Magnus," he added.

Helen just smiled, somewhat amused. "It's okay, Will, I know what you meant."

"You know," Ashley began. "While we're talking about it, what kind of psychopath injects themselves with ancient vampire blood, just to see what happens?"

"A special kind," Tesla smiled.

"And Anna was far beyond that."

"What did she do?" Kate asked.

"Kidnapped me," Tesla replied, earning a surprised look from those around him. "Yes, I know, how did a mere human manage to overpower me? You'd be surprised what a sociopath can do when she puts her mind to it. Anyway, what she did was far crazier than injecting the Source Blood."

"Well?" Kate prompted, growing impatient with his need to make everything more dramatic.

"She injected herself with my blood," he said. "In an attempt to be more like me."

"But," Helen took over. "What happened was not what she expected. She had very limited knowledge of medical procedures, and obviously, DNA and genetic testing weren't even a blip on the radar at the time. While she had intended to become a vampire, like Nikola, what she actually became was different. She was not a vampire, but she wasn't human either. She was one of the most powerful abnormals I've ever encountered. Present company excluded."

"You say _was_," Will pointed out. "What happened to her?"

"Well… We don't really know," Nikola answered.

"You don't know?"

"After a time, she simply disappeared. We believed she died. And for over a hundred years, we had no reason to believe otherwise. Until now."

"And what makes you think she's alive?"

"Our two recent arrivals. Their DNA is clearly not vampiric, but their abilities are far too similar to ignore. There are only so many people on the planet who would have the knowledge to create such creatures, and, while she may not have been as intelligent as us, she has had time to learn. I believe these beings were created by her. No one else could have pulled off something like this."

"Which is what exactly?" Will asked.

"Create a race of psychopathic killers completely under her control," Nikola replied.

"Isn't that what _you've _tried to do? One of your creations managed to do what you couldn't?" Henry asked.

"No," Nikola replied, clearly annoyed. "What I tried to do was revive the vampire race, a race of geniuses, not _sociopaths_."

"No need to get defensive dude," Henry said. Nikola snarled at him.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Will asked.

"Find her," Nikola answered, twirling the De-vamper between his fingers. "And kill her."


	21. Rest for the Wicked

_Bear with me through this, please._

**

* * *

Chapter Twenty One - Rest For The Wicked**

"How's it going?" Will asked, entering Henry's lab.

Henry yawned in response and shook his head tiredly. "Not good."

"Its 2:30 in the morning, you've been at it for hours," Will said. "Maybe you should take a break."

"Can't," he shook his head. "Doc wants this chick found asap."

"Henry," he started, watching him yawn. "Come on, man. You need to sleep."

"Maybe," Henry yawned. "Maybe you're right."

Will smiled and took Henry's hand in his own then walked him out of the lab.

When they reached their room, Henry practically fell into the bed, completely exhausted. Will smiled and took off his shoes, then Henry's, before joining him in the bed.

"Thanks, Will," Henry mumbled sleepily, resting his head against Will's chest, then fell asleep almost instantly.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Do you think we're ever going to find her?" Helen asked as she and Nikola settled into bed.

"Oh, ye of little faith," Nikola smiled. "Of course we will. She's a sociopath hell bent on the destruction of the world. That usually gets noticed."

Helen laughed. "There was a time I would have said the same about you."

"That's where you would be wrong, my dear. I never wanted to destroy the world, I wanted to rule it."

"And you've given up on that old chestnut?" she asked skeptically.

"Never," he responded. "Some day the world will recognize our greatness, and you and I will rule the world together."

"Some day," she chuckled.

"Well, we have all the time in the world, don't we?"

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Magnus, Tesla," Will said into his radio. "She's awake."

Not two minutes later, the couple walked into the observation area overlooking the once vampire like creature.

"I figure you guys would like to be the ones to talk to her," Will said.

"Thank you, Will."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What is your name?" Helen asked. The woman merely stared at the mirrored glass, completely ignoring her presence. "Where did you come from? Answer me."

"This isn't working, Helen," Nikola's voice said from the other side. She'd been trying to interrogate the woman for almost twenty minutes with no success.

The moment Nikola's voice came over the speaker, the woman's eyes widened gleefully.

"Is that him?" she asked, speaking for the first time. "That's him, isn't it?"

Before Helen could speak, Nikola had walked into the cell, a look of curiosity on his face. "You know who I am?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, ginning madly. "Of course."

"How?" he asked.

"Our creator told us of you. She was made in your image, and us in hers."

"Who is your creator?" Helen asked, needing to be sure.

The woman glared at her and didn't speak.

"Answer her," Nikola ordered.

"She is our mother," she explained simply. "Our creator. The one who made us what we are."

"And before? What were you before she turned you? Who were you?"

"Before? I do not understand."

"Before. Before you were a vampire."

"I… I have always been the way I am. I am Kilo and I have never been anything but. Until your weapon weakened me."

"Kilo," Helen said. "That's your name?"

"My title, yes."

"How many more are there like you?" she questioned.

Kilo smiled. "Many."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"This is bad, Nikola!"

"You've said that, Darling. Several times in fact."

"Well it bears repeating. Heaven only knows how many of these things she created. It could be a disaster. Creating vampires," Helen shook her head in distress.

"So this is what you think of my work then?" he asked, feigning a pout.

"Yes, Nikola, that's exactly what I think," she replied with utmost seriousness. "Bringing back the pharaohs of the world is, perhaps, a noble idea, but also a stupid one. Vampires were wiped out all those years ago for a reason. And if you ever did find a way to revive the old race, it would be centuries, if ever, before people accept them as equal, let alone as the dominant species."

"Oh, Helen," he said, shaking his head. "We will just have to agree to disagree on this one. And one day, I swear to you, I will prove that the old ways are not so far out of reach."

Helen smiled. "Of that I have no doubt. In the meantime, though, we need to deal with the sociopaths in the SHU."

"Ah, yes, those. Now, based on our observations, the de-vamper didn't work quite as effectively on them as it did on, say, me. Their powers are severely diminished, yes, but not completely so."

"Which is more bothersome than truly useful. Can you create something better suited to their physiology?"

"I'm me," he reminded her. "Of course I can."


	22. Unkillable

**Chapter Twenty Two – Unkillable**

"Perhaps we should contact John," Nikola suggested, somewhat reluctantly. It had been nearly two weeks with no luck finding Anna.

"I've already tried," Helen said. "I've been trying to get in touch with him since Ashley returned. I haven't received any word from him. I believe he really is dead this time."

Will half snorted. "Yeah right. How many times have you tried to kill the guy?"

"He's got a point mom, he does seem to be shockingly unkillable."

Helen nodded. "I know, but until we have evidence saying otherwise, we'll have to assume he won't be able to help us on this one. How's the new de-vamper coming along?"

"I've tested it on Kilo and it seemed to have the desire effect, but I'd like to be able to test it on someone who hasn't already been partially de-vamped."

"So you're saying you want us to go out looking for another one of those things?" Ashley asked. "Dude, that's insane. _I_ have trouble fighting those things and, well, genetic freak here."

"I'm not saying we should go looking for one. Just that it would be incredibly convenient if one were to attack."

Helen rolled her eyes. "Well, as we do not typically rely on _convenient_-" before she could finish her thought, Henry was frantically tapping at the pad in his hands. "What is it Henry?"

"Perimeter breach. It's… well, it looks like things just got convenient." He flipped the screen so they all could see. Helen stood up straighter and headed for the front door, while the others stayed were they were, mildly annoyed.

"We were just beginning to think you were dead," Nikola said when Helen returned with Druitt, though it was clear he wasn't particularly happy to see him.

"Well, clearly I am not." He turned to Ashley and smiled. "Hello, Ashley."

"Hi," she replied, somewhat awkwardly. While he may have been her father, she still hardly knew the guy.

"I'm sorry I could not return sooner," he apologized, mostly to Helen and Ashley. "I only just recently received your communiqués."

"It's quite alright, John, you're here now."

Nikola growled quietly as Helen led Jack the Ripper away.

"Aww, somebody seems a little jealous," Henry said, mocking tone in his voice. Tesla glared at him. "Relax man," Henry added, giving him a slap on the back before exiting the room with Will, Ashley and Kate.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Alright everyone," Helen said, checking her weapons. "This is our one shot. Henry, Will, Kate, and I will do what we can to provide distraction. Nikola," she prompted as he walked into the study.

"Version one," he said, hold up a de-vamper and handing it to Ashley. He then held up the other, much larger one. "Version two," he added, keeping it for himself.

"Right, Ashley, it's your job to take down anything with fangs."

"Anything but me," Tesla corrected.

Helen rolled her eyes. "We know that won't completely eliminate their abilities, but it'll have to do. Nikola, John – god, I know I'm going to regret this – the two of you will go after Anna immediately."

John and Nikola stared at one another, each shooting metaphorical daggers.

"Alright," Helen said, ignoring them. "Is everyone ready?" There were no objections, so she turned to Henry, who tapped a few keys on his computer, then nodded. "John, Ashley," she prompted.

John stepped forward and placed his hands on Helen's shoulders. "I'm not leaving you alone with _him_," he practically spat at Nikola, before teleporting them, along with Will, away. The quickly arrived outside a warehouse, then John went back for the others.

"You haven't told him yet?" Ashley asked, appearing with Henry and Kate, giving her mother a dirty look. "You told me you were going to _day_s ago."

"There hasn't been time," Helen replied.

"Bull," Ashley said. "You're just a chicken."

"Is now really the best time to deal with this?"

"Well, if you'd told him, like you promised you were going to, we wouldn't have to."

Before the matter could be taken any further, John returned with Tesla. Ashley dropped the matter.


	23. Face Off

**Chapter Twenty Three – Face Off**

"Let's move in," Helen said.

The group moved toward the warehouse, guns drawn. They entered as quietly as possible. What they found inside, was at least a dozen vampire-like creatures waiting for them.

"Shit," Ashley said, teleporting away, then behind the nearest opponent, then stuck him in the back with the de-vamper.

"Well, that worked nicely," Nikola said, having just taken one out with his new improved de-vamper.

"Find her!" Helen shouted at Nikola and John. John nodded and grabbed Nikola's shoulder before teleporting away.

Henry partially transformed, attacking a nearby vampire, while Helen, Kate and Will shot several rounds of tranquilizers into every vampire they could.

"This isn't working!" Will exclaimed. A moment later, Ashley was next to him, de-vamping the thing that was about to kill him.

She was able to move around the room relatively quickly, taking down all of the vampires.

All but one. She was battling one of the tougher looking vamps. He managed to knock the de-vamper from her hands and sent it flying across the room.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. She teleported over to it, but somehow wasn't as fast. The vampire crushed the glass tube beneath his foot, effectively destroying it. "Shit shit shit!" Ashley shouted. She grabbed her back up gun from its holster and began firing.

"How many tranqs before you were able to take down Kilo?" Helen asked, as the four of them continuously shot at the vampire.

"A lot," Kate replied, replacing her magazine. A few more shots and the vampire began to stumble, a handful more and he was down for the time being.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Alright, where is the little bitch," Nikola questioned as he and John wandered around the laboratory.

"Nikola?" an airy voice asked. "Is it really you, Nikola?"

He turned around slowly, a slightly annoyed look on his face. "Anna," he greeted boredly.

"It is you. You really came."

"Hello, Anna," John said, appearing from the shadows.

"John?" she asked. "I didn't think… I thought you had died."

"I could say the same to you."

"It is so good to see you," she said, stepping forward to hug him. "What about the others? Are they here as well? I have missed you all so much."

"Don't play this game, Anna," Nikola warned.

"Game?" she asked. "What game?"

"The one where you pretend everything is all fine and dandy when you're trying to take over the world." For a moment, it occurred to him that he was no better, but that wasn't the point. Instead of waiting for a response, he leapt forward, attacking her.

"Oh, Nikola, what are you doing?" she asked, fighting him back. "We aren't supposed to be fighting. You're supposed to join me, lead my holy crusade."

For a moment, he paused, considering his options. This could be his chance at glory, his chance to rule the world.

"Not interested," he replied. There would always be other chances.

Anna sighed and shook her head. "I so had hoped it wouldn't come to this."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Let's find the others," Helen said, leading them further into the warehouse.

"Up and to the left," Henry said, catching the scent of John and Nikola.

They rounded the corner and walked down the long hallway.


	24. Anna

**Chapter Twenty Four - Anna**

"Nikola!" Helen exclaimed when they found them. Anna had him in a chokehold, with a syringe of something greenish stinking in his arm. Before anyone could move, Anna pressed the plunger, injecting the solution into his blood.

"Helen," Anna said, dropping him to the ground, unconscious. "You're here, too," she smiled. "It's like a reunion."

"What have you done to him?" Helen asked, noticing the De-vamper lying, crushed, on the other side of the room.

"He'll just get a little sick," Anna shrugged. "Well… He's gonna be really sick soon. Maybe he'll survive."

"Why? Why would you do this?"

Anna shrugged. "He wasn't being cooperative."

Ashley teleported behind Anna, stabbing her in the back with her long nails. Anna, almost completely unaffected, spun around and slashed at her with her own nails, leaving several long gashes through her face and chest. They healed almost instantly.

"We've eliminated your slaves," Helen said. "You can't win this. It's time to give in."

Anna laughed. "You know me better than that, Helen. Stopping me won't be that easy."

She reached into her pocket and retrieved a small ball.

"What are you doing?" John asked gruffly.

"Sorry, brother," she shrugged. "A girl's gotta do what she has to do." She threw the ball at the ground. There was a brilliant flash of light and the room filled with smoke. When the smoke finally dissipated, Anna was the only one still standing, all of the others had fallen to the ground, unconscious. She grabbed one of the lifeless bodies lying on the ground near her and began to walk away, the body slung over her shoulder.

"Put him down," Ashley said weakly, trying to stand, but was unsuccessful. Anna shot at her several times with a tranq gun that had fallen in the scuffle. Already weakened by the mysterious smoke, Ashley was knocked unconscious with the others rather quickly.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Mom!" Ashley shouted, shaking her mother awake.

"Hmm?" Helen grumbled as she came to. "Ashley?"

"Mom, you've gotta wake up!"

Helen seem to shake herself awake almost immediately when she realized where she was. "Ashley! What happened?"

"I don't know," she replied. "She set off some kind of smoke bomb. It knocked all of us out. It took a little while longer to affect me, but I was too weak… I…"

"Too weak for what? Ashley, what happened?" Helen asked, looking around frantically.

"She's got Will, Mom," Ashley said, just as Helen realized that he wasn't anywhere in sight.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Hey, Mom," Ashley greeted, entering her lab.

"Hello, sweetheart," Helen replied, not looking up from her work. "How's everyone?"

"Kate's still a bit loopy. Keeps talking about unicorns. Henry's fine, little headachey. Druitt seems to be fine. How 'bout you?"

"I'm fine. I wish I could say the same for Nikola," she said.

"Any idea what's wrong with him?"

Helen shook her head. "I'm still running tests, but it doesn't look promising."

Ashley nodded solemnly. "You need anything?"

Helen shook her head as she walked around the table to examine something. "But if you could inform my when the prisoners begin to wake?"

"Of course."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

Henry sat at his desk, frantically tapping at his keyboard, smacking the desk forcefully every few minutes.

"Maybe you should take a break," Kate said, leaning against the doorway.

"Can't," Henry shook his head. "Not until I find the bitch."

"You've been at it for three days, Hank," she said, massaging her temple.

"And I'm gonna keep looking," he replied.

"Okay," she shrugged, knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere in this conversation. "Just… maybe try and get some rest some time."

"Not until I find him," Henry muttered, more to himself than her.

_

* * *

Aww, poor Henry :(_


	25. Sick

_Happy New Year everyone :D_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Five - Sick**

"Oh, Nikola," Helen said, sitting down in the chair next to his bed in the infirmary. She took one of his hands in her own.

"This bothers you," John's voice interrupted her thoughts. "More than it should."

"John," she said, turning to him, slipping her hand away from Nikola.

"Hello, Helen," he smiled at her. "I haven't seen you in days."

"I've been busy," She said, rising from the chair.

"I've noticed," he replied. "Trying so desperately to help him. I don't understand it."

"What is there to understand?" she asked, turning her back to him to return to her work.

"You worry over him as though…"

"As though what?" She asked, growing rather impatient.

"As though you love him."

"John," she began. "Can we not have this conversation right now?" she begged.

"So it's true then," he stated. "You and him…"

"I'm _not_ having this conversation with you right now," she told him.

"How can you… he's nothing more than a cold blooded killer!"

Helen just stared at him, mouth agape, completely amazed. How dare he say something like that? She didn't even know how to respond.

"Please leave, John," she told him. "We _won't_ be discussing this later."

John looked as though he wanted to say more, but simply left instead.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"You look exhausted," Helen said, entering Henry's lab.

"Which is a nice way of saying I look like crap," Henry replied, barely looking up at her. "And I gotta say, you don't look any better."

"I know," she said. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

Helen understood how Ashley had seen right through her when she'd said the same thing. _I'm fine_ was a bullshit, cop out answer that made it perfectly clear that nothing was, in fact, fine.

"How about you?" Henry asked, his tone displaying that he knew that they both knew he was lying through his teeth, and that Magnus would lie just as badly.

"Frankly…" Helen began, a strange look on her face. "I feel kind of like vomiting. Excuse me a moment," she added, before departing rather quickly.

Henry looked up from his computer, perplexed. "Doc?" he asked, rising from his chair to follow her down the hall. "Are you okay?"

He watched her run into the restroom at the end of the hall.

"Doc?" he asked, pressing an ear to the door. He heard noises that sounded like she was, in fact, puking. After a few moments, she walked back out, looking slightly green.

"I'm fine, Henry," she told him, right before collapsing into his arms.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Mom!" Ashley exclaimed, rushing into the infirmary.

"I'm fine, Ashley," she assured her, trying to sit up, only to be shoved back into the hospital bed by Bigfoot.

"Clearly you're not. What's going on?"

Helen shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt very sick suddenly."

"I'll run the tests," Bigfoot said gruffly, walking away with several vials of her blood.

"I've never seen you sick, Mom," Ashley said, a worried expression plastered all over her face.

"It's been a long time since I have been," Helen replied, also a little worried.

"How are you feeling now?" Henry asked.

Helen shook her head. "Better, but still slightly nauseous."

"Well, there's a trash can next to your bed, if you need it."

"I'm not going to vomit into a trash can, Henry," she said, clearly disgusted at the mere thought.

"Yeah, well, just in case," Henry rolled his eyes.

Helen tried to laugh. "Go back to your work, Henry."

"Sleep!" Ashley corrected. "God, just take a twenty minute nap or something, for god's sake."

"No can do," Henry said, shaking his head. He patted Helen on the shoulder and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "Feel better soon, Boss," he said. "God, this is weird, you being the sick one."

"Don't I know it," she replied, watching him walk out.


	26. Dying

_I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I have no excuse really, just laziness... and also, I've been playing Lego Harry Potter, which is far more amusing than one would expect... anyway, I'll give you two chapters for the wait. I'd give more, but we're nearing the end, and I love to draw these things out :D_

_Enjoy._

**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Six – Dying**

"Magnus," Bigfoot said, wandering into the infirmary. "Test results are back." He handed her the file.

"I think I already know…" she said, opening the file. Her eyes scanned over the page, then she nodded slightly. "It is as I suspected," she said, sliding off the bed and retrieving her clothes.

"Perhaps you should rest," he suggested.

Helen shook her head. "You saw the results, Old Friend," she said. "I'm fine, and therefore, perfectly capable to return to my work."

"As you wish," he nodded. "If you need anything," he offered.

"You'll be the first to know," she smiled at him. He grunted, then left.

When the door was fully closed behind him, she wandered over to Nikola's bed. She bit her bottom lip as she took his hand in one of hers and sat down beside him.

"Oh, Darling," she said, running her free hand through his chaotic hair. "I wish you would wake."

She sat there for a long time, wishing for some miracle that she knew would never come.

"I apologize," John's voice, once again, interrupted her thoughts. "For the way I reacted before."

Helen almost found it laughable, that it had taken him nearly four days to bring her an apology.

"I was out of line," he said. "I can't say that I understand it, or even that I give my blessing-"

"Your blessing?" she exclaimed, rising and turning to him. "When have I _ever_ needed your blessing? What gives you the right to dictate my life?"

John looked at the ground, remorse in his eyes.

"I came here to say I was sorry," he said quietly. "To say that I accept your choice, even if I do not understand. I did not come here to fight."

Helen blinked several times, absolving her anger.

"I'm sorry, John," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean… I'm sorry." She took several steps toward him, then pulled him into a hug.

He wrapped his arms around her slowly, somewhat surprised by her actions, and further surprised when she began sobbing into his chest.

"I am sorry, Helen," he said, attempting to comfort her, but knowing it was futile.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I didn't know you were out," Ashley said as she walked into her mother's office.

"Feeling much better," Helen assured her.

"What was wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

"God, you are such a horrible liar," Ashley said, shaking her head. "It's a wonder I _ever _believed in Santa."

Helen laughed. "I assure you, it's not a big deal."

"Then why don't you just tell me what's going on?"

Helen sighed. "When the time comes, I promise you will be among the first to know."

Ashley gave her an odd look. "Are you, like, dying or something?"she asked.

Helen smiled. "You should know by now, that I am one of the few people on the planet who is not _always_ dying."

Ashley threw her hands in the air. "Had to be sure," she said, exiting the room. "You talk like it's the end of your life."

Helen continued to smile. "Quite the opposite, really," she said to herself.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Any luck?" Bigfoot grunted, wandering into Henry's lab.

"Will you people quit bothering me?" he exclaimed in return. "If I had any news, don't you think I'd have told everyone?"

"Perhaps you should rest?" he suggested.

"Would you people stop acting like I'm a child?" Henry shouted at him. "I'm sick everyone treating me like I need to be taken care of. I can handle myself!"

Bigfoot wandered around behind him.

"I am sorry," he said.

"What?" Henry asked, thoroughly confused. "Sorry for-" Before he could finish, the Big Guy stuck him in the neck with a needle.

"Sorry," he said again, as Henry fall off the chair, into his arms, completely unconscious.


	27. Surprise

**Chapter Twenty Seven – Surprise**

When Nikola woke, the first thing he realized was that he was in the infirmary, and, while he once hated the smell of disinfectant, he found that now, it just made him think of Helen.

The second thing he noticed was Helen. She was lying next to him on the bed, one arm wrapped around him as she slept, her head resting partially against his shoulder.

He smiled and kissed one of her eyelids, before turning away as he erupted in a coughing fit.

"Nikola!" she exclaimed, waking up.

"No worries, Darling," he said, running his hand along her cheek. "Rest some more."

"You're awake," she smiled, sitting up slightly.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, coughing again. "What happened?"

"Anna," she explained, knowing that was all he needed. "You've been in a coma for over a week."

"Which I suppose explains the bags under your eyes." He broke out coughing again. "When was the last time you slept?"

She shrugged. "Hasn't been time. How are you feeling?"

He coughed again. "Fantastic," he answered sarcastically. "Hmm. I can't remember the last time I was sick."

"No doubt the late 70s," she replied. "The 1870s I mean."

"I know what you meant," he smiled. "What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be sick."

Helen shrugged. "I can't figure it out. Anna injected you with something, some kind of poison. Something specifically targeted to harm you."

"Why would she do that? She loves me!"

Helen looked somewhat amused. "She's a sociopath."

"But she loves me."

"Stop saying that like it makes any difference. Clearly it didn't affect her ability to try to kill you."

"You'd never try to kill me, would you?" he asked, giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Of course I would," she replied. "But only if you were being unreasonable," she added, resting her head on his shoulder once more.

He laughed and kissed her.

"What happened to Tiny Tim over there?" he asked, noticing Henry lying on a nearby bed.

"Oh," her face fell. "Will… Anna took him prisoner. We haven't heard from her, which, frankly, is worrisome. Henry's hasn't slept since we raided the warehouse, he's been trying to find them. I gave him a mild sedative to knock him out for a while."

"Should you maybe have done the same for yourself? It's not healthy to deprive yourself of sleep. Even for you."

"_You're_ worried about _my_ health? You're the one lying on your deathbed," she half joked.

"In my defense, you're also lying on my death bed," he grinned.

Helen shook her head and laughed, then laid it back on his shoulder.

"What is it?" he asked. "You look like you have something to say."

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I have a surprise for you. Perhaps when you're feeling better."

"Good surprise or bad?" he questioned.

She thought a moment. "I think it's good. I hope you do as well."

"Tell me," he smiled. "Maybe it'll make me feel better."

Helen half smiled back at him.

"What is it?" he asked, sensing her fear. He reached out, touching her face tenderly. "I've never seen you afraid. Not like this."

She leaned into his touch, her eyes closed. "I worry," she began. "For how you will react. That you will not be as pleased as I."

"Please tell me." He whispered, kissing her softly. "If you are happy, then I will be too." God, what a cheesy line. When did he become such a hopeless romantic?

"I-" she began, only to be interrupted by sirens going off. "I should check on that," she exclaimed, jumping out of the bed and rushing from the room.

"Coward!" he shouted after her, before erupting in a fit of coughs once more.

_

* * *

Only six chapters left now..._


	28. Hope

**Chapter Twenty Eight – Hope**

"What's going on, Ashley?" Helen asked, walking into the SHU.

"One of the vamps tried to escape," she said. "It seems Tesla's new toy didn't work as flawlessly as expected. I've take care of it though."

"How?"

"Thankfully, he was weaker, easier to take down. Not as weak as the others. You can tell Tesla when he wakes up that his 'new, improved weapon' is crap."

"He is awake," she replied absently.

"Well, what are you doing here, then? Go hang with your hubby!"

"I want to talk to the one who woke up," She said, ignoring her statement.

"Erm… yeah, about that…"

"What did you do?"

Ashley hung her head and opened the door to his holding cell. Lying on the floor, was the man, several bloody gashes across his torso, and five holes in his face.

"Ashley!"

"What would you have had me do?" she exclaimed. "He was trying to escape and tranq weren't working. He'll probably be fine by tomorrow, he's already healing."

Helen sighed. "Let me know if he wakes up again," she said with a yawn. She then walked out of the SHU.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Nikola! What are you doing?" Helen exclaimed when she reentered the infirmary. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, attempting to stand, with little luck.

"What does it look like?" he asked, rising to his feet, only to stumble toward the ground. Thankfully, Helen was able to keep him from collapsing entirely, and helped him back into the bed, where he promptly began coughing again. He remained sitting, too restless to lie back down.

"I dislike this feeling," he said. "Helpless. Weak."

"I know," she said, placing the back her hand on his forehead, then running it though his hair.

"You had a surprise for me," he prompted when the coughing dissipated. "Is it cupcakes?"

Helen laughed and sat down next to him. "I suppose I'll have to tell you eventually."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"This is a terrible movie," Kate said, reaching into the bowl of popcorn.

"Probably one of the worst I've ever seen," Ashley agreed, as she sat back down after the incident in the SHU.

"Why are we watching it again?"

Ashley shrugged. "Nothing better to do, is there?"

"There must be better movies lying around this place," Kate pointed out.

"Nope," Ashley shook her head. "There's a rule about not getting decent movies. There's something about bad movies that makes them so much more enjoyable," she grinned.

"You know," Kate began. "I've been here over a year now, and the things you people do… You make no sense to me sometimes."

Ashley shrugged. "You'll get used to us."

"That's what worries me."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Pregnant," Nikola repeated, blinking as he processed her announcement. Helen didn't look at him; instead her focus was only on her hands, folded neatly in her lap. When Nikola reached out and took one of them, she looked up. There was a small smiled on his face, one which promptly grew to envelope his whole face. She smiled back at him slightly as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Pregnant," he said again, brushing her hair behind her cheek.

"Yep," she said shortly, smiling. He kissed her again.

"Perhaps there is hope for the great Vampire race, after all," he said, causing her to burst out laughing.

* * *

_Finally, the chapter that verifies that which everyone already knew :D_


	29. Feeling

**Chapter Twenty Nine – Feeling**

"You sure you're okay, Mom?" Ashley asked as her mother walked out of the restroom, having just vomited up the entire contents of her stomach.

"I'm fine, it's just morning sickness," she said distractedly. Then she stopped in her tracks when she realized what she'd said.

Ashley stared at her a moment. "Morning… Mom!" she exclaimed, then hugged her, squealing with delight. "You're pregnant?"

Helen nodded with a small smile.

"Does Tesla know?" she asked. "who am I kidding, of course he knows. What else would explain the fact that he's been bouncing around the Sanctuary in such a ridiculously stellar mood. Oh," she squealed again. "I'm so happy for you guys! Wait… he is that father, right?"

Her mother gave her an annoyed look. "Do you really think I get around that much?"

Ashley shrugged. "Had to be sure." She hugged her again.

(The Way of the Universe)

"How are you feeling?" Helen asked, walking into Henry's lab.

"Not as fantastic as I would like," Nikola replied, tapping away at the computer. "But well enough to help."

"If you can call what you're doing _helping_," Henry muttered.

"Henry?" Helen prompted.

"Well, for starters, he keeps telling me I'm wrong-"

"You are," Nikola interrupted.

Henry glared. "And when he's not telling me I'm an idiot, he's sitting in the corner, muttering to himself about god knows what. It's distracting~! And don't you think I've forgiven you for sending the Big Guy in here with tranquilizers."

"It had to be done, Henry, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, prove it. Get this jerk out of here."

"Nikola," she said.

He rose from his seat, grabbing the cane she'd given him, and hobbled toward her. "But I want to help…" a strange look overcame his features as he realized what he'd said. "I blame you for this," he said wagging a finger at her. "I had a perfectly selfish life before you came along. I didn't care what happened to people. Until you came along."

Helen smiled. "You can work from your lab. Leave Henry alone."

"Arighty then," he grinned, walking away with an impressive bounce in his step, given that he was somewhat crippled, for the time being.

"I will never understand what you see in him," Henry said, as she walked away.

Helen smiled. She was out the door and halfway down the hall when he called her back.

"Doc! Tesla!" he shouted after him. "Get back here!"

"What is it, Henry?" Helen asked, reentering the lab.

"Someone just hacked the system."

"What?"

"I'm trying to stop them from getting any infor-"

"Henry? What is it?" She stepped around the counter to get eyes on the screen. "Oh, dear god."

"What's going on?" Tesla asked, walking back in.

"Run a trace," Helen told him.

"Oh god," Henry breathed, watching the screen.

"Hello everyone," Anna's airy voice said, stepping into view of the camera. "Helen, wolf boy. Nikola," she added with surprise. "I thought You'd be dead by now."

Nikola shrugged. "You underestimate the extent of my awesome," he said, glancing up from one of the other computers, then returned to his trace.

"Hmm, too bad. I suppose I'll have to try harder next time. Oh well, at least I've got him," she said, nodding to the unconscious Will tied to a chair behind her. "He'll do more for me anyway, in the long run."

Henry stood from his chair and walked away from the screen, running his hands through his hair, fear in his eyes.

Helen took the opportunity to sit down and get a better look at the woman who she'd thought died, many years before.

"What do you want?" Helen asked.

"Power, obviously," she replied. "And you're going to do exactly what I say, or I'm going to kill him."

"You psychotic bitch!" Henry shouted at her.

"Now, now," Anna shook her head. She turned to Will and took a knife to his chest, leaving a long cut.

Henry snarled, wishing more than anything that he could leap through the screen and tear her into tiny pieces.

"Now," Anna said. "Here's what I want you to do, Helen. Surrender your Sanctuary network to me."

"You know I can't do that," Helen shook her head.

"Very well then," she smiled, then turned to Will once more, this time, taking the blade to his throat.

_

* * *

We are nearing the end..._


	30. Wrong

_I have no idea why it happened, but I apologize for the sudden disappearance of chapter 26-29. As far as I can tell, it's all back to normal. I'd like to know what happened though..._

**

* * *

Chapter Thirty - Wrong**

"No!" Henry shouted as Anna ran the blade across Will's throat. Blood began to pour from the wound.

"You heartless bitch," Helen spat.

Anna smiled sweetly at her. "Just remember, Helen, this is your fault."

The screen went dark.

Helen shouted something incoherent as she slammed her hand into the desk. When she turned around, Nikola was the only one there.

"Where's Henry?" she asked, though not altogether surprised that he had gone.

Nikola offered her a weak smile as he pulled her in a hug.

"We'll find her, Darling," he promised. "We'll find her, and she'll pay."

Helen pulled away and nodded solemnly. "The sooner the better."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

When Helen finally found Henry, curled up in the corner of the library, it was several hours later.

"Henry," she said sitting down next to him.

He shook his head. He didn't want to hear it; there was nothing she could say to make this better.

"I know, Henry," she said, pulling his head into her lap and petting his head comfortingly. Henry shook as tears fell freely from his eyes. "I am so sorry," she repeated, over and over.

"Everything… everything smells like him. The whole Sanctuary. I smell him everywhere and it's driving me insane."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"I found her!" Tesla said, running into her lab.

"What?" Helen asked, utterly shocked at the possibility. It hadn't been more than a few days, and he hadn't had much luck thus far.

"She wasn't very careful when she hacked in," he said. "I found her."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Where's Henry?" Ashley asked when she met up with her mother, Tesla, Kate and Druitt.

"He's not going," she said.

"What? Didn't you…"

"I didn't tell him," she said. "He's in no condition to take part in this. And for that matter, neither are you," she added, turning to Nikola.

"What? Helen-"

"No, Nikola. You can hardly stand, you're not going." She turned to the others. "Let's go." Ashley teleported Kate, while John placed his hand on Helen's shoulder. Helen could have sworn she saw a smug look on John's face, but chose to ignore it completely.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

Henry didn't know how long he'd been lying in his bed, he didn't know how long he'd been in the library before the Doc had moved him. He didn't know how long it had been since she'd last visited him. What he did know, was that there was suddenly a very strange smell in the Sanctuary.

Blood.

Blood. Helen's blood. He leapt out of the bed and made a dash for the infirmary, tying to figure out what the underlying scent was. It familiar, so familiar. Comforting, almost, but also wrong, very, very wrong.

He stopped, dead in his tracks, realizing how close the scent was, and also realizing _what _it was. He spun around to see Will standing just a few feet behind him.

"Will," he breathed.

"Hey, Henry," he smiled at him, stepping forward, but stopped when Henry began to back away.

"It's okay, Henry," he told him, holding out a hand. "Magnus told me. What you saw… it wasn't real. It was all part of Anna's evil plot. I'm okay."

"No, you're not," Henry shook his head, still backing away slowing. "You're not you."

"Henry," Will began.

"No!" Henry exclaimed. "You're wrong, all wrong."

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What the hell happened?" Nikola exclaimed, running into the infirmary moments after being summoned by Ashley.

"She's fine," Ashley said, holding her hands up in an attempt to calm him. "The baby is fine, they're both fine."

Nikola's eyes grew wide. "What happened?" he shouted, shoving past her. Helen was lying on one of the beds, unconscious, with the Neanderthal tending to her.

"She is fine," Bigfoot said, turning from her. "Sedated now, so she can rest. They are fine."

Nikola approached the bed, worried at what he would find. Several gashes along her face and bloody bandages on her neck, arms and torso.

"Did you get her?" he asked angrily.

Ashley sighed. "No."

* * *

_This chapter feels so abrupt. Like I wrote way to much in too few words. Oh well._

_Thirty down, three to go..._


	31. Help

**Chapter Thirty One – Help**

"What's going on?" Ashley asked, walking into the shoe as Henry slammed one of the holding cells closed in the SHU.

"What were you thinking?" he exclaimed. "How could you bring that _thing_ back?"

"What thing? Henry, what's going on? Where's Will? I expected you guys to be all over each other."

Henry looked like he was going to explode. He shoved open the door to the observation room and pushed her in.

"How could you bring him back like this and not know it?"

"Oh god…" she breathed, watching as Will thrashed around the room, fangs and claws prominent. "Henry we… We didn't realize."

"How could you not realize?"

Ashley took a deep breath. "He helped us fight her, said she just faked his death… he helped us."

"Did you kill her?" he asked hotly.

She was silent. "No."

"Then he didn't do a very good job helping, did he?"

_ (The Way of the Universe)_

"Why aren't you off with lover boy?" Nikola asked, sensing Henry's presence in his lab. "They told me they brought him back, that he wasn't dead."

"He's a vampire. One of _hers_," he stated angrily. "She turned him."

Tesla turned to him for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said, before turning back to his work. What freaked Henry out was not that he had apologized for the loss, but that he seemed almost sincere in his words.

"It bothers me, too," Tesla informed him.

"What?"

"My concern for the protégé. For all of you. It's strange. I am unaccustomed to the feeling."

Well, that was something at least.

"I'll find a way," Tesla informed him. "To fix him. Right after I kill her."

Henry sat down to help him in whatever way he could. Nikola didn't object.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"Arghhh," Nikola shouted, slamming his fist into the counter. "This isn't working!"

"No it isn't," Henry replied, rubbing his face. "Wait," he started, looking up with a curious expression.

"What?" Nikola asked.

"Kilo. You turned her back. She's fully human. Or, as fully human as one can be, after 20 years of genetic manipulation."

"No, you're right, she is fully human. An insane one, but human," he said, thinking. "That's it!" he exclaimed.

"What's it?"

"You, Henry Foss, are a genius," he grinned.

"You think you could say that again on tape?"

Nikola ignored him.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

"What are you two up to?" Ashley asked, entering the lab, slightly worried by the fact that they were not only working together, but that both seemed perfectly content in doing so.

"Almost…. Finished!" Nikola exclaimed, holding his latest device in the air for all to see.

"It looks exactly like your last failed attempt at a devamper," Ashley said bluntly.

Nikola glared at her. "I assure you, this one will work."

"Let's test it," Henry said.

"We've got no one here to test it on," Nikola. "The only full 'vampire' here is Will. And I'm sure you don't want me testing a potentially deadly experiment on your boyfriend."

"Then let's find Anna," Ashley shrugged.

_(The Way of the Universe)_

When Helen awoke, part of her was surprised that Nikola was not at her side.

Part of her wasn't.

"You're awake," Kate smiled as she walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she replied, flinching slightly at the pain in her cheek. She didn't say she would have liked Nikola to have been the one waiting for her to wake. She didn't say it because, even in her head, it made her sound like a needy, dependent woman, which she most certainly was not. And she definitely didn't need to hear herself say that one out loud, let alone have Kate hear it.

"The vampire's in his lab," Kate offered. "If you're feeling up to walking around. Big Guy says you should be able to."

"Thank you, Kate," she smiled slightly. She was grateful, at least, that she hadn't made her ask the question on her mind.

* * *

Out of curiosity, how long do you all want me to draw the last two chapters out?


	32. Scarred

For the record, I've had this finished for almost two months now. I was more asking how long I should wait between updates, but whatever :D

Normally I respond to reviews via PM, but I thought these two would contain info pertinent to everyone

**songbird101 said: make it as long as you see fit, you are the writer. just don't kick it out in 600words cuz that will just suck... a good ending is one that ties up all loose ends..and yet leaves room for imagination.. happy typing:)**_ My response: hahaha. Yeah. This chapter is about 600 words (679 according to MSword). The next isn't even that much. But it does tie up all the loose ends in a nice little bow, whilst leaving room for imagination :D_

_**Time Lord Victorious said: Make it as long as you want. But if you're going to make a sequel, make the cliffhanger amazing. **__My response: Erm... well, you'll just have to see. There is a cliffhanger, but not of the earth shattering variety. In fact, its one of those cliffhangers that isn't even a cliffhanger. As for the sequel... see endnotes..._

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Chapter Thirty Two – Scarred**

Helen arrived in Nikola's lab, only to find it completely empty. How odd.

"He is gone," Bigfoot's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What?" she asked, turning to him, not allowing herself to think the thoughts that now protruded in her mind.

"He and Henry and Ashley went after the girl."

"What?"

"Made a new weapon. Said he was sure it would work and they were going to test it."

(The Way of the Universe)

"Twilight fans would never accept this," Ashley said as she and Henry dragged the unconscious form of Anna Druitt down the hall, into the SHU. "You know, a vampire and a werewolf, working together. Sorry, a vampire and a HAP."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Henry grunted as they flopped her into a chair in one of the holding cells.

"Let's _all_ pretend that wasn't said," Nikola muttered, taking a blood sample, then walking away as they continued to strap her down.

(The Way of the Universe)

"Helen," Nikola said, surprised to find her in her lab. "You're awake. Your hirsute friend said he was going to keep you under for a few more days, until your wounds were better healed." He said, kissing her lightly.

"They are," she said.

"What?" he questioned.

She lifted the side of her shirt to reveal a few thin scars that had been bloody gashes just days before.

"How is that possible?" he asked, tracing the scars.

"I don't know," she shook her head, fixing her shirt. "Perhaps it has something to do with the tiny vampire growing inside me," she smiled.

"Well, we are a superior species," he grinned back.

"Did you get her?" Helen asked.

"Of course we did," he said, leaning on the countertop. He held up the vial of blood he'd taken. "Just need to check that she's fully human."

"You're trying to fix Will, aren't you?"

Nikola nodded. "Speaking of which," he said as he began to prepare one of the machines on the counter. "How do you not notice that the protégé was a vampire? That generally stands out, don't you think?"

Helen hung her head. "I think we were all just happy to see him alive," she said. "How is Henry?"

"Frantic. He wants his little human back."

"And you're helping him," Helen smiled.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Nikola asked, giving her a strange look. "It's not as though I like the child."

"You do to," she grinned. "You like them. All of them, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

(The Way of the Universe)

Henry stood in the observation room overlooking Will, his forehead resting against the glass.

"I know you're there," Will said boredly. "I can feel it."

Henry closed his eyes and bit his lip, wanted so badly to destroy the creature that took over Wills body… his beautiful body, now in habited by a monster. For a moment, he contemplated the monster within himself, but quickly pushed the thought away. This was a completely different situation. The werewolf had always been a part of him, a part he now had complete control over, while the Vampire in Will had taken him over against his will.

"I can sense your anger, too," Will said. "Anger toward little old me."

"Killing him really won't do any good," Nikola pointed out before Henry could run into the room and attack. "In fact, that would probably make it harder to save him."

"Like what you're doing is working so well," Henry replied hotly. "You've been working for four days and what have you got to show for it?"

"Would you like me to rush in there with a prototype that may or may not work? The third weapon left Anna practically dead. While none of us have a problem with a comatose ex-vampire lying in the SHU, I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate it if we did the same to your boyfriend."

"Well then work faster."

"You of all people should know that science takes time," Nikola said, more to himself than to Henry.

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_A note of the sequel (or a few notes, actually): I think I've written about 15 chapters, maybe less. It's not far enough along for me to feel comfortable posting it at this point, especially because I've put it on hold for the time being (I WILL COME BACK TO IT). Also, it takes place 300 years in the future._


	33. Domestic

Sorry sorry sorry. I meant to put this up _days_ ago. Anyway, here it is, the last installment.

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Chapter Thirty Three – Domestic**

"I did it," Nikola said, joining Helen in their bed. "I fixed the protégé. He's off having glorious reunion sex with the werewolf."

"We don't call him that," Helen corrected.

"Werewolf," he repeated. Helen rolled her eyes at his stubbornness.

He smiled at her, then kissed her forehead, then stomach. Helen burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, unsure whether to be offended or not.

"You're so… domestic," she laughed.

"I am not! Take it back," he commanded. He was smiling though, pleased by her laughter. He reached out and tickled her side, sending her into another fit of giggles. When he finally stopped, she leaned up to kiss him.

"I love you," she said with a smile.

"I know," he replied, grinning back at her.

"You ass," she said, smacking him playfully.

"But you love me," he said, still grinning like the crazy person he was.

"Yes, I do," she said as they settled down, her head resting against his chest.

"This is nice," he said, running his hand through her hair. "Though, it seems a little too quiet."

"Don't-" she began, but before she could complete her though, alarms began to ring. She sighed as she rolled out of the bed. "This is your fault."

"My fault?" he asked, following her out of the room. "How could this possibly be my fault?"

"You jinxed it; therefore it is your fault. That, and with your track record lately, there's a pretty good chance that whatever happened this time is can be at least partially blamed on you."

"You still love me though, right?" he asked, feigning worry.

"No," she deadpanned.

**The end

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**_I know, it's horribly short and cutesy. I'm sorry if you were hoping for more._


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